<div>As the US prepares to export its natural gas to India, an American lawmaker is pushing for a Congressional legislation to export the gas in US-made ship and tankers.</div><div> </div><div>"By requiring that the ships be American-built, we will be able to employ several hundred thousand new men and women in our shipyards," Congressman John Garamendi said on the floor of House of Representatives on Wednesday as he moved a legislative amendment that would require export of American gas in US-made ships.</div><div> </div><div>"As of now there are 117 shipyards in the United States that build ships. None of them yet build these tankers. They could if we pass this amendment," Garamendi said.</div><div> </div><div>"Let's build it in America. Let's make it in America," he said.</div><div> </div><div>Garamendi wrote a letter to US President Barack Obama before his India travel in this regard.</div><div> </div><div>The California Congressman said this strategy is employed by India, which has a tender out to buy gas from the US. "That tender requires that three of the ships used to transport that be built in India," he said.</div><div> </div><div>In his letter Garamendi said American LNG is a strategic national asset, and it must be used to bolster another strategic national asset - the domestic shipbuilding industry.</div><div> </div><div>"They want American natural gas; build the ships in America. We know that this is a big industry," the Congressman said.</div><div> </div><div>He said Cheniere Energy needs 100 ships when they begin to ship natural gas from the company's new terminal in Texas.</div><div> </div><div>"Are those American ships? No, not without this amendment. Those ships will be Chinese ships in Chinese shipyards built by Chinese," he said as he moved the amendment to the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act.</div><div> </div><div>Garamendi's amendment would require that American LNG be exported on United States-flagged vessels until 2020 and on United States-built and flagged LNG vessels thereafter.</div><div> </div><div>(PTI)</div>
