US LNG Exports Surge 23% in First Half of 2026 Amid Higher Capacity

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports reached a new high in the first half of 2026, averaging 17.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), a 23% increase from the same period in 2025, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The surge in exports is attributed to higher capacity due to new terminals and expansions at existing ones, with Plaquemines LNG exporting at full capacity and Corpus Christi Stage 3 currently exporting from six of seven liquefaction trains.

Global LNG prices remained high throughout the first half of 2026, reaching a four-year high of $14.74 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in Europe's Title Transfer Facility in the Netherlands, and $15.56/MMBtu in Japan-Korea Marker price for LNG imports into East Asia.

Market disruptions from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz contributed to a doubling of U.S. LNG shipments to Asia in 1H26 compared with last year, while exports to Europe and other regions also increased on a volume basis.