TOKYO – Japanese energy giant Jera announced Thursday it will purchase up to 5.5 million additional tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually from the United States, effectively tripling its American LNG imports. The move comes amid intense trade negotiations and was welcomed by Washington.
The long-term supply agreements span 20 years and involve four LNG production sites located in Texas and Louisiana, the company said in a statement. Jera currently supplies one-third of Japan’s electricity.
The new volumes represent approximately 8.3% of Japan’s total LNG imports in 2024, which amounted to 65.9 million tons. Jera’s existing imports from the US range between 3.5 and 4 million tons annually, accounting for about 10% of its total foreign LNG purchases.
“These agreements strengthen our strategy to build a diversified and resilient supply portfolio,” Jera stated.
In 2023, Japan sourced 41.6% of its LNG from Australia, followed by Malaysia (15.6%), Russia (9.3%), and the United States (8.4%), according to Japan’s Ministry of Trade.
