Trade war spills over
US-China tensions likely to prompt shift in crude, LNG flows
The escalating trade conflict between Donald Trump's US Administration and China overflowed into energy markets in August, as China announced that it's prepared to impose tariffs of up to 25% on US energy exports. Analysts and industry officials believe the tariffs, if imposed, could have significant longer-term effects on the US oil and liquefied natural gas industries. Since the US renewed large-scale exports of crude oil in 2015 and LNG from the Lower 48 States in 2016, China has emerged as a significant importer of both. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says that, in 2017, China took in 224,000 barrels a day, or 20% of US oil exports. By May of this year US exports to China
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
