The Alaska energy project should be included in a trade package, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told parliament Monday, as he seeks to put together a sweeping agreement with Washington.

LNG suppliers have invested billions in new export projects on the assumption that China, the world’s top buyer, will underpin demand growth for decades.

“The benefits of expanding U.S. LNG exports have never been more clear, and I am proud to be taking action to support the American people and our allies abroad with more affordable, reliable, secure American energy,”

China is also boosting its energy security by focusing on producing more gas at home, which will help to curb import growth.

While pipeline gas supplies from Russia cover less than 5% of Europe’s fuel needs after most major routes have been closed since 2022, the nation remains the second largest supplier of LNG to the EU. Purchases hit a record last year, with Spain, France and Belgium being the biggest buyers.

Demand for the super-cooled fuel from the world’s fourth-largest buyer will rise to an annual 64 billion cubic meters by 2030, up from 36 billion last year, according to the IEA’s latest report on the Indian gas market, published on Wednesday.

Japan imported 6.34 million mt of US LNG in 2024, accounting for 9.6% of the country's total LNG imports of 65.89 million mt, according to data from the Ministry of Finance.

While Europe has managed to diversify its supplies since the energy crisis three years ago, this heating season has served as a reminder of the region’s vulnerability, especially given its growing reliance on volatile LNG flows.

The sanctions, however, made exemptions for transactions related to the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project in Russia's far east until June 28, 2025, according to an updated general license published by the treasury department.

This would put the UK's import levels at their highest since February, when it took 991,000 mt of LNG. The country has seen particularly low LNG demand since Q2 of 2024; however, that seems to be shifting as it procures more winter cargoes.