China has suspended imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) for more than ten weeks, extending the trade dispute between Washington and Beijing into the energy sector.
The pause in shipments, reported by the Financial Times citing shipping data, comes as China imposes steep tariffs on U.S. hydrocarbons, pricing them out of the domestic market.
No U.S. LNG has arrived in China since February, when a 69,000-ton tanker from Corpus Christi, Texas, delivered a cargo to Fujian province. A second shipment was rerouted to Bangladesh after it failed to reach China before a 15% tariff took effect on February 10.
That tariff has since increased to 49%, making U.S. LNG commercially unviable for Chinese buyers.
The disruption affects long-term energy agreements. Chinese firms such as PetroChina and Sinopec have signed 13 long-term LNG contracts with U.S. exporters, with some deals running through 2049.
Developers are now reportedly seeking to renegotiate terms amid inflation and rising tariff-related costs.
China has also sharply reduced purchases of U.S. crude oil, cutting imports by 90% in recent months, according to the report. Meanwhile, energy ties between China and Russia continue to strengthen.
China’s ambassador to Moscow said Chinese firms are actively seeking Russian LNG suppliers, and discussions on the proposed Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline are ongoing.
Russia is currently China’s third-largest LNG supplier, after Australia and Qatar. In 2024, China imported 7 million tons of Russian LNG, the most in Asia.
