According to Michael Lewis, CEO of German utility Uniper, increased exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States to Europe, as advocated by President Donald Trump, are set to alleviate tight global gas markets, lower prices, and provide traders with more diverse supply options.
“When Trump sends more gas to Europe, it will reduce the world gas price,” Lewis stated during an interview at the Handelsblatt Energy Summit. He highlighted the potential benefits for German industry and consumers, noting that “it means lower energy prices for German industry and customers, that’s why it’s positive.”
The comments come after Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office to resume processing applications for new LNG export projects, which had been stalled under the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
While this policy shift aims to enhance LNG exports, the United States is already operating at full capacity in terms of LNG shipments. Any significant uptick in exports would require a major production ramp-up, a process that may face challenges due to current market conditions and relatively low gas prices.
US LNG has played a critical role in offsetting the loss of Russian pipeline gas, which Germany ceased importing following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. According to the industry group BDEW, US LNG accounted for 91% of imports at German regasification terminals in 2024, meeting 9% of the country’s gas demand in December. This marks an increase from 2023, when US LNG constituted 84% of imports and met 6.9% of December’s demand.
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