Egypt Signs $4 Billion Deal to Import US Natural Gas

Egypt has finalized a major new energy agreement worth $4 billion to import U.S. natural gas, selecting the American firm Hartree Partners as its strategic supplier, according to comments by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, cited by Reuters.

The deal marks one of Egypt’s largest recent commitments to securing liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from the United States, reinforcing the country’s position as a key buyer amid fluctuating domestic production and rising consumption.

Egypt has seen a dramatic surge in LNG imports this year, becoming the second-largest importer of U.S. liquefied natural gas in August, with shipments totaling 57 billion cubic feet, representing 13% of all U.S. LNG exports that month, according to U.S. Department of Energy data.

The momentum has been even more striking over a longer horizon. In the first eight months of the year, Egypt purchased 233.3 billion cubic feet of American LNG, a staggering 300% year-on-year increase, placing it among the top five global buyers.

Egypt’s broader natural gas imports have climbed sharply as the country confronts domestic production challenges and rising demand.

Total gas imports jumped 51% in the first nine months of the year, reaching 15.6 billion cubic meters, according to the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI).

LNG imports surged 210%, accounting for 8.6 billion cubic meters of the total. Pipeline imports, by contrast, fell 7.6% to 6.98 billion cubic meters.

In September alone, Egypt imported 2.4 billion cubic meters, a month marked by shifting import patterns: LNG volumes dropped to 1.6 billion cubic meters, while pipeline imports increased to 823 million cubic meters.

The $4 billion agreement with Hartree Partners underscores Cairo’s push to stabilize its energy balance as consumption rises and domestic supply pressures intensify. It also highlights Egypt’s growing reliance on flexible LNG imports, which allow rapid market response compared to fixed pipeline arrangements.

For the United States, the deal reinforces its expanding role as a global LNG supplier and cements Egypt as one of its fastest-growing markets.

The energy import surge comes at a time when the Egyptian pound continues to lose value against the U.S. dollar, increasing the financial burden of foreign energy purchases. The Hartree Partners deal is likely to have significant implications for Egypt’s balance of payments and fiscal planning as it navigates currency pressures and inflationary risks.