January 24, 2023
On LNG, Canada Turned Away Germany, Then Japan—This Country Cannot Keep Doing That
In mid-January, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Japan’s interest in buying more Canadian energy supplies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lauded Japan for agreements to purchase from the soon-to-launch LNG Canada project, before quickly changing the subject to critical minerals and battery production, the newest focus of his country’s industrial policy. While those latter efforts can be positive for Canada, Mr. Trudeau’s messaging reflects a missed opportunity for Canada to use its energy not just for its own benefit but that of others.
Canada has an opportunity to insist producers invest in the cleanest LNG supplies.
To his credit, Mr. Trudeau avoided making the same statement he made some months ago, when he claimed, on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit, that there was “no business case” for meaningful increases in LNG exports. Still, much like with Germany, which ended up securing only a few agreements on hydrogen projects after Mr. Scholz’s visit, Mr. Trudeau gave Japan no promises of expanding LNG projects or encouraging new ones.
Read the full article from The Globe and Mail.
More from CNAS
-
Does OPEC Still Matter?
Commentary
On April 28, the United Arab Emirates announced that it would leave OPEC, effective May 1 — ending nearly six decades as an OPEC member. In terms of oil production, it is the ...
By Rachel Ziemba
-
Why China's Rare Earths Grip Is Hard to Break
Video
China's near-total control of the rare earths industry has become one of its most potent geopolitical levers. Chris Kennedy, who leads economic statecraft analysis at Bloomber...
By Chris Kennedy
-
Who Will Make Money on AI?
Reports
The private sector is playing a leading role in advancing the frontier of artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, commercial incentives are likely to have a significant imp...
By Geoffrey Gertz & Emily Kilcrease
-
USTR Hearing on Section 301 Investigations into Structural Excess Capacity
Congressional Testimony
On May 5, 2026 Emily Kilcrease, Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at CNAS testified at the Office of the United States Trade Representa...
By Emily Kilcrease
