Asset-light. Cargo-focused. Scalable.

U.S.-Origin LNG Cargo Acquisition

AIC acquires full LNG cargoes sourced from U.S. Gulf Coast export terminals. Each cargo represents a discrete, financeable unit of value — typically 3.4 to 3.5 Tbtu of natural gas in liquefied form, loaded onto an LNG carrier at a U.S. export facility.

The acquisition strategy is structured around a formal tender process issued by AIC LNG Americas LLC, the U.S.-based origination entity. Tenders are directed to U.S. LNG exporters and portfolio sellers, specifying cargo size, loading window, delivery terms, and pricing basis.

Henry Hub-Linked Procurement Strategy

AIC procures LNG on a Henry Hub-linked basis — the standard pricing mechanism for U.S.-origin LNG. Cargo prices are expressed as a liquefaction fee plus a Henry Hub multiplier (e.g., 115% of HH + $2.25/MMBtu), reflecting the cost structure of U.S. LNG export facilities.

This pricing structure provides transparency and comparability across U.S. suppliers, enables trade finance lenders to model cargo value against observable benchmarks, and aligns AIC's procurement cost with the pricing basis most familiar to Asian offtakers evaluating U.S.-origin supply.

Asia Market Distribution

AIC distributes LNG cargoes into Asian demand markets through AIC Asia Companies — the group's demand aggregation and customer interface network. Target markets include Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, India, and Southeast Asia.

Distribution counterparties include utilities, national oil companies, industrial gas buyers, and portfolio traders with regasification access. AIC coordinates delivery terms, regasification scheduling, and downstream logistics through the Asia entity network.

Structured Trade Finance

Each cargo acquisition is financed through structured trade finance facilities — typically letter of credit-backed or borrowing base structures secured against the cargo's value. AIC LNG Trading Ltd. (Hong Kong) serves as the principal borrower and trading counterparty.

Trade finance structures are designed to be self-liquidating: the cargo sale proceeds repay the facility within the cargo's delivery cycle. This structure allows AIC to finance cargo value without committing permanent capital, enabling the platform to scale cargo volume as credit facilities expand.

Shipping Optionality

AIC arranges shipping through AIC LNG Shipping SPV — a ring-fenced vehicle that manages vessel chartering, freight optionality, and marine assurance across the U.S.-to-Asia Pacific corridor. The shipping entity is isolated from the trading book to contain freight risk.

Shipping arrangements include spot charter, time charter, and freight optionality structures. AIC does not own vessels — the platform is asset-light by design. Shipping capacity is sourced from established LNG shipowners and operators through structured charter agreements.

Long-Term Agreement Strategy

AIC's long-term strategy is to establish multi-cargo and multi-year supply agreements with U.S. LNG exporters and offtake agreements with Asian buyers. Long-term agreements provide volume certainty, improve trade finance terms, and support the platform's credit profile.

The platform is designed to begin with staged cargo commitments — individual spot or short-term transactions — and progress toward term agreements as counterparty relationships, credit support, and operational track record develop.

Supplier Discount and Buyer Pricing Strategy

AIC's margin strategy is based on acquiring LNG at a discount to prevailing market prices from U.S. suppliers — through volume commitments, early engagement, or portfolio optimization — and reselling cargoes to Asian buyers at market or above-market prices reflecting Asian demand premiums.

The spread between U.S. procurement cost and Asian delivery price, net of shipping, financing, and operational costs, constitutes AIC's trading margin. Margin optimization is managed through the Hong Kong trading entity, which holds the principal trading book.

Scalable Portfolio Development

AIC's strategy is asset-light, cargo-focused, financeable, and scalable. The platform is designed to start with staged cargo commitments and expand as offtake, credit support, shipping capacity, and supplier relationships mature.

Portfolio development follows a staged ramp: initial transactions establish operational and credit track record; subsequent transactions build volume, counterparty depth, and trade finance capacity. The platform's multi-entity structure supports this ramp by enabling each entity to develop its own counterparty relationships and credit profile independently.