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Qatar threatens to halt LNG exports over EU regulations

Jul 28, 2025, 8:18am EDT
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Qatar’s Energy Minister and CEO of QatarEnergy, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi
Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Qatar threatened to halt LNG exports to the European Union if it moves ahead with new legislation requiring companies to address human rights and environmental risks in their supply chains.

According to Reuters, Energy Minister Saad Al-Kaabi — who also heads QatarEnergy — sent a letter to the Belgian government warning that Doha may redirect its LNG and other fuel exports elsewhere.

Al-Kaabi said recent amendments to the proposed EU law still fall short of making the bloc attractive for energy exporters. QatarEnergy opposes a requirement for companies to adopt net-zero targets, something it has no committed plan to achieve. Qatar aims to double its domestic LNG capacity to 142 million tons per year by 2030, with an additional 18 million tons from its Golden Pass project in Texas.

A chart showing Europe’s LNG imports in 2024.
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