Natural Gas

Natural gas imports require authorization from the Department of Energy (DOE) under the Natural Gas Act, which distinguishes between imports from free-trade-agreement countries (deemed in the public interest automatically) and non-FTA countries (subject to a more detailed review). Pipeline infrastructure crossing the border also requires a Presidential Permit and FERC authorization for the facilities involved.

Pipeline gas imports are constrained by fixed cross-border pipeline capacity and are largely limited to Canada and Mexico. LNG imports, by contrast, require dedicated regasification terminals but allow sourcing from any global LNG supplier. This makes LNG import capacity a strategic hedge against pipeline supply disruptions, though US LNG import utilization has declined sharply as domestic shale production has grown.