Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 15, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe US demands the EU exempt its gas from the methane emissions law until 2035, citing trade barriers and potential disruptions to gas supplies.
By Kate Abnett
BRUSSELS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The United States has demanded that the European Union exempt its oil and gas from obligations under the bloc's methane emissions law on fuel imports until 2035, a U.S. government document seen by Reuters showed.
Starting this year, the EU requires importers of oil and gas to Europe to monitor and report the methane emissions associated with those imports, in a bid to reduce emissions of the potent planet-warming gas.
The world-first climate policy has faced opposition from U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who has called it impossible to implement and warned it could disrupt U.S. gas supplies to Europe. European countries are increasing their imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas, as they race to phase out oil and gas imports from Russia.
A U.S. government document, reviewed by Reuters, said that in the absence of a "full repeal" of the EU law, the United States proposed that the EU should "delay requiring U.S. emissions data reporting under the EUMR [EU Methane Regulation] until October 2035".
"The EU Methane Regulations is a critical non-tariff trade barrier that imposes an undue burden on U.S. exporters and our trade relationship," said the document, which was circulated to EU member governments ahead of a meeting of their energy ministers in Brussels on Monday.
A spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A European Commission spokesperson did not immediately confirm if it had also received the U.S. paper.
(Reporting by Kate Abnett, editing by Louise Rasmussen and Bart Meijer)
Methane emissions refer to the release of methane gas into the atmosphere, which is a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. It is often produced during the extraction and transport of fossil fuels.
The EU Methane Regulation is a policy that requires importers of oil and gas to monitor and report methane emissions associated with those imports, aiming to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas that has been cooled to a liquid state for ease of storage and transport. It is used as a cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels.
A non-tariff trade barrier is a restriction on international trade that is not in the form of a tariff. It can include regulations, quotas, and other measures that make it difficult for foreign goods to enter a market.
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, and managing the day-to-day operations of the EU.
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