Reuters: US will not impose restrictions on gas exports to Europe

MOSCOW, 4 Oct — PRIME. The US authorities rule out the introduction of a ban or just some restrictions on the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to European countries this winter, which were considered as an option to combat inflation in the United States, Reuters reported, citing sources.

“The White House has ruled out imposing a ban or restrictions on natural gas exports this winter to help alleviate Europe’s energy shortages,” the sources told the agency.

Inventories of natural gas, the country’s main heating fuel, are at historically low levels after U.S. companies exported record volumes to Europe in recent months. In turn, White House officials, in response to inflation jumping to four-decade highs, studied the impact on this market of a possible restriction of energy exports to reduce domestic consumer prices and increase gas reserves, agency sources explained.

But this analysis only reinforced the general view that such a move would be too extreme and disrupt key relations with allies in Europe, Reuters adds.

Earlier, in the spring, the Financial Times reported that the United States is finalizing plans to export up to 15 billion cubic meters of LNG to the European Union by the end of the year to partially replace Russian energy sources. The White House analysis only bolstered support for continued exports, sources said, although rising energy prices and a colder-than-expected winter could test US President Joseph Biden’s commitment to those plans.

“Biden made a commitment in March, and we are fulfilling it. We have surpassed President Biden’s LNG export target,” a senior administration official told the agency, noting that U.S.-to-EU LNG exports have totaled 30 billion cubic meters since early March. which is double the same period last year.