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US LNG Exports Jump 23% in H1 2026 as New Capacity Boosts Shipments, EIA Says

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US LNG exports jumped in H1 2026 as new capacity and strong global prices boosted shipments, with Asia emerging as a key growth market, the US Energy Information Administration said Tuesday.

US liquefied natural gas exports averaged 17.4 billion cubic feet per day in H1 2026, up 23% from a year earlier.

The EIA expects US LNG exports to average 17.3 Bcf/d in H2 2026 before increasing to 18.7 Bcf/d in H1 2027, according to its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook.

New terminal startups and expansions drove the fastest growth in US LNG exports since large-scale shipments began in 2016, with Plaquemines LNG operating at full capacity.

Corpus Christi Stage 3 exports LNG through six of seven liquefaction trains, while the two terminals will add 4 Bcf/d of nominal capacity once complete, according to EIA.

Golden Pass LNG started exports in April 2026 and should increase Train 1 shipments through year-end, adding 0.7 Bcf/d of nominal capacity, while Train 2 is expected to finish in late 2026.

Strong global LNG prices kept US exports near maximum levels during H1 2026, with the Netherlands' Title Transfer Facility averaging $14.74 per million British thermal units, up from $13.10/MMBtu in H1 2025.

A March disruption through the Strait of Hormuz cut 20% of global LNG supplies, mostly from Qatar, lifting prices and intensifying competition for spot cargoes.

Asian buyers, which take about 80% of Qatar's LNG, faced tighter spot markets in H1 2026, while the Japan-Korea Marker averaged $15.56/MMBtu, up $2.38 from H1 2025, the report added, citing Bloomberg data.

The Japan-Korea Marker reached a four-year high in H1 2026, its strongest level since prices hit $29/MMBtu in 2022.

US LNG shipments to Asia more than doubled in H1 2026, rising 2.3 Bcf/d, or 108%, from a year earlier, while Europe gained 0.1 Bcf/d, or 1%, EIA said.

The TTF average also climbed to its highest level since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, when prices reached $32.42/MMBtu.

Shipments to Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and North Africa rose 0.8 Bcf/d, or 46%, in H1 2026.

Egypt and the Netherlands led destinations at 1.7 Bcf/d each, followed by Italy at 1.4 Bcf/d, France at 1.2 Bcf/d, and the UK at 1.1 Bcf/d, according to EIA.

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