EU Wants to Boost LNG Imports From US in Exchange of Lifting US Aluminum Tariffs

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - The European Commission proposes to boost the EU imports of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States in exchange for scrapping the US tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from the EU member states, a diplomatic source told Sputnik.

“The European Commission proposed a number of measures to settle the situation, including the increase in volume of the LNG supplies to the European Union by the US companies and expansion of relevant infrastructure,” the source said.

The United States has been increasing its LNG deliveries to European Union countries and has become the sixth largest LNG supplier of the 28-nation bloc in the first quarter of 2017.

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According to the International Energy Agency, the United States will become one of the leading LNG exporters in five years.

In late March, the United States imposed 25-percent and 10-percent tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, respectively. US President Donald Trump decided to postpone the talks on the tariff issue earlier this month.

The move provoked a backlash from China, which has introduced its own tariffs on goods produced in the United States. Both countries have suggested they might implement further mutual restrictions.