Stl-Qianjiang

The 'STL Qianjiang,', that loaded in Port Neches headed to Dahej on June 11, 2025,, after Washington required US exporters to seek licenses to ship the shale gas to top buyer China. Around half of all US ethane exports head to China, where it is used by the petrochemical industry. The vessel's change in destination underscores how the fallout from trade tensions between the United States and China is shifting ethane flows. The 'STL Qianjiang', had loaded at Energy Transfer's Nederland terminal for China's Satellite Chemical, signaled Dahej. The final buyer of the cargo is India's Reliance Industries. The ship has traversed only between the United States and Satellite Chemical's Lianyungang petrochemical facility since July 2022. Energy Transfer and Enterprise Products Partners, two of the top US ethane producers and exporters, have received letters from the US Commerce Department requiring the companies to apply for a license to ship ethane to China.