Trump’s Biggest Bargaining Chip in Trade Negotiations Is Natural Gas

The Trump administration is pushing for increased foreign investment in liquefied natural gas. The negotiating strategy could come down to two factors.

Trump, Chris Wright, Doug Burgam

Evan Vucci/AP

The prospects for America’s natural gas industry were already looking up under the Trump administration — and then the president launched a global trade war.

As the White House pursues trade negotiations with more than 100 countries, America’s growing liquefied natural gas industry is being sold as a vital bargaining chip in talks.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, currently on a two-week tour of Gulf states, raised the prospect of “large-scale investments and partnerships” in U.S. liquefied natural gas projects with the United Arab Emirates last week and planned to do the same with Saudi Arabia, according to a Department of Energy spokesperson. Those conversations included discussion of a massive proposed Alaska project that has been a popular idea with Republicans for decades, but has, until now, proven too costly and complicated to turn into reality.