US LNG vessels leave for China after year-long pause ahead of Trump-Xi summit

NEW YORK/HOUSTON, May 12 (Reuters) – China could receive in June its first direct U.S. liquefied natural gas shipment in more than a year in a potential sign of thawing energy ties as U.S. President Donald Trump this week heads to Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Three vessels left U.S. LNG export plants in Louisiana last week and are expected to reach China in mid- to late June, according to data from financial firm LSEG. While other LNG tankers have left U.S. ports and said they were headed to China over the past year, none have…