What is the significance of the three U.S. LNG vessels departing for China in early May 2025?

The three vessels — Umm Al Hanaya (from Cheniere’s Sabine Pass on May 5) and Al Sailiya and Id'Asah (from Venture Global’s Plaquemines on May 8) — are expected to arrive in Tianjin between June 15–20, marking the first direct U.S.-to-China LNG shipments since February 2025 and the first since Trump’s return to the presidency in January 2025; this pause reflects over a year of disrupted energy trade amid ongoing U.S.–China trade disputes.

Why did Chinese buyers avoid direct U.S. LNG imports over the past year, despite having contracts?

Chinese buyers sold contracted U.S. LNG cargoes to other countries instead of importing them directly due primarily to trade disputes and the ability to earn higher profits from elevated global LNG prices — especially in recent months, when market disruptions caused by the Iran war widened margins — while simultaneously increasing reliance on pipeline gas from Russia and Central Asia.

US LNG vessels leave for China after year-long pause ahead of Trump-Xi summit

May 12, 2026

Three U.S. LNG vessels departed for China, marking the first direct shipments in over a year amid potential trade thawing before the Trump-Xi summit. Major producers Cheniere and Venture Global supply cargoes expected to arrive in Tianjin by mid-June.

reuters

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