U.S. Eases Ethane Export Rules for China

The United States has lifted a restriction on exports of ethane, a petrochemical feedstock, to China, but only under certain conditions, Reuters has reported, citing an unnamed source and a letter sent by the government to the two largest exporters, Energy Transfer, and Enterprise Products. China is the largest importer of U.S. ethane, produced in abundance thanks to the surge in natural gas output from the shale patch. The country imports about 50% of total U.S. ethane exports, or close to 250,000 barrels daily. This changed after President Trump…