A tanker that loaded at Sempra’s Cameron LNG terminal in Louisiana in March and appeared to be headed to China has changed its course to Taiwan, S&P Global Platts vessel-tracking software cFlow showed last week.
As Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide reports, no U.S. LNG has been delivered to mainland China in more than a year, amid Chinese import tariffs that remain in effect despite an initial trade agreement between the two countries announced in January. The March 21 course set for the SK Resolute raised hopes that the effective freeze on U.S. LNG shipments to China would end.
China said last month it would offer tariff exemptions to certain U.S. commodities, including LNG, according to the publication. But it said approvals would be based on market value and whether the purchases are economically and commercially viable, indicating imports of U.S. commodities would continue to be subject to market restrictions. Low international prices and weaker than expected demand, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, have impacted LNG flows into Northeast Asia.
