Currently, almost half of the product’s external supplies come from the North American market, “but we are prepared to continue negotiations on increasing these imports,” said spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen on behalf of the European Union (EU) executive.

According to Itkonen, the northern power acts as an important partner and helps diversify fuel supplies, as the EU aspires to “renounce Russian energy players.”

The European Commission, she clarified, is not in charge of discussing and signing business contracts: “What we can do concretely is review the certification procedures for LNG infrastructure and look at options to add demand,” she specified.

We don’t want to become overly dependent on a single supplier; we’ve learned our lessons. “In any case, the United States remains an important partner as we diversify our energy sources, and we are willing to discuss and negotiate,” Itkonen told reporters.

If US LNG imports reach $350 billion annually, the EU could count on a reduction in Washington’s tariffs, according to the press release.

The White House chief confirmed that the new import duties will go into effect as planned and demanded that its European partners purchase more energy to help reduce the US trade deficit, rejecting the EU’s proposal for “zero-for-zero” bilateral tariffs on industrial products.

Trump indicated that the EU should increase imports of US oil and gas, otherwise it will face tariffs on its exports, including cars and machinery.

According to experts, Russian fuel is cheaper due to its geographical proximity and the existence of pipelines to transport the fuel; However, the EU opted for the higher-priced US offer due to the ongoing Western economic war against Moscow.

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