On the heels of sewing the nation’s first gas import deal from the US, state-owned GAIL India wants Washington to relax rules so that it can buy more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to meet growing energy needs here.

Gas-surplus US at present allows exports of small amounts of natural gas. It has so far allowed only Cheniere Energy to export LNG from Sabine Pass LNG terminal to countries that have not signed free-trade agreements with the US such as India.