US LNG producers soar as EU agrees to $250 billion in annual purchases

(Reuters) -Shares of U.S. liquefied natural gas developers surged in premarket trading on Monday, after the European Union pledged to purchase $750 billion worth of the super-cooled fuel over the next three years as part of a sweeping trade pact.

NextDecade (NEXT), Venture Global (VG), and Cheniere Energy (LNG) jumped between 7% and 8.8%, with the deal bolstering the prospects for American LNG exporters as they expand to meet growing demand for cleaner-burning fuels.

The EU, seeking to phase out its dependence on Russian gas, committed to buying $250 billion annually in U.S. LNG as part of the framework trade agreement unveiled on Sunday.

The U.S. became the world’s biggest LNG supplier in 2023, surpassing Australia and Qatar, as surging global prices fed demand for more exports, due in part to supply disruptions and sanctions linked to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The agreement imposes a 15% U.S. import tariff on most EU goods, a softer blow than markets had feared.

“Terms of the EU-U.S. trade deal were at the forefront, with the 15% tariff level better than feared (30% was mooted previously),” said Ashley Kelty, an analyst at Panmure Liberum.

“This should see less of a drag on industrial activity between the two.”

Still, Kelty noted the deal could weigh on gas prices.

“The demand for the EU to buy more U.S. energy will see more U.S. LNG imports in the future,” Kelty said, signalling a potential supply glut.

Shares of U.S. natural gas producers Expand Energy and EQT Corp were up 1.6% and 3%, respectively, before the bell.

(Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)