HOUSTON, Jan 2 – In 2025, the U.S. became the first country to export over 100 million metric tons (mmt) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a single year, according to preliminary data from LSEG.
The U.S., which is the world's largest LNG exporter, sold 111 mmt of the fuel, surpassing Qatar by nearly 20 mmt and increasing its exports by almost 23 mmt compared to the previous year.
Last year, U.S. shipments made up about 25% of global LNG exports.
Venture Global's Plaquemines facility, the second largest export plant in the U.S., exported 16.4 mmt in 2025 after starting to ship from December 2024.
Alex Munton, director of global gas and LNG at Rapidan Energy Group, noted that the 24% growth from the previous year was due to high usage across existing terminals and quick ramp-ups at new facilities.
The record year was also marked by December, when the U.S. exported 11.5 mmt, setting a new monthly record for LNG exports.
The U.S. achieved five monthly production records throughout 2025.
“It's impressive that in just nine years, the U.S. has gone from zero LNG exports to over 100 mmt. This success confirms the U.S. strategy of selling free on board and the reliability of U.S. supplies,” stated Jason Feer, head of business intelligence at Poten and Partners.
Europe continued to be the main destination for U.S. LNG, with 9 mmt shipped to the continent last month as winter set in and Europe reduced Russian gas purchases, according to LSEG ship tracking data.
Turkey, which supplies some Russian gas to Europe, increased its U.S. LNG purchases in December, acquiring 1.45 mmt.
In December, the U.S. exported 1.23 mmt of LNG to Asia, down from 1.75 mmt in November.
Egypt continued to import significant amounts of U.S. LNG due to its natural gas shortages, buying 0.78 mmt in December, while the Americas region imported 0.42 mmt.
With Plaquemines aiming for full capacity this year, Cheniere's smaller modular plants expected to reach full volume soon, and the first train at Golden Pass LNG— a joint venture between QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil— set to begin production in early 2026, Feer predicts the U.S. could boost its annual production by an additional 20 mmt this year.