14/10/2026
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14/10/2026
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TAIPEI/WASILLA, Oct 14: US President Donald Trump has said Taiwan has agreed to purchase 30% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced by a planned pipeline project in Alaska over the next 20 years, while US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Taiwan had committed $4.4 billion to the project's development, reports Reuters
Trump made the announcement at a rally in Wasilla, Alaska, on Tuesday, describing the reported commitment as one of the biggest deals ever made.
“Taiwan has just agreed to buy 30% of the gas coming off the pipeline for the next 20 years. That guarantees a success,” Trump said.
“It’s one of the biggest commitments in history for anything. It’s one of the biggest deals ever made,” he added.
However, the precise terms of the reported arrangement remain unclear, and Taiwan has not publicly confirmed the full commitments described by Trump and Lutnick, according to Reuters.
Taiwan's Economy Ministry, which oversees the island's energy policy, had no immediate comment on Trump's remarks. Premier Cho Jung-tai said the government's responsibility was to stabilise the country's energy supply and strengthen its resilience.
Earlier Agreement With Alaska
Trump's announcement follows an agreement signed in March 2025 by Taiwan's state-owned energy company CPC Corporation and the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC).
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed at the time that CPC had signed a letter of intent to purchase LNG from the Alaska project and seek opportunities for upstream investment. The agreement was intended to diversify Taiwan's energy supplies and strengthen energy cooperation with the United States.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy previously said Taiwan had signed a letter of intent to purchase six million metric tonnes of LNG annually from the project.
It remains unclear whether Trump's latest announcement represents an expansion or finalisation of the earlier arrangement, or whether the reported financial commitment has become legally binding.
Major Energy Project Still Requires Financing
The proposed Alaska LNG project would transport natural gas from northern Alaska through a pipeline to the state's southern coast, where it would be liquefied and shipped to international buyers.
If completed, the project could export up to 20 million metric tonnes of LNG annually, providing Asian markets, including Taiwan, with a direct supply route from the United States.
Reuters reported that the project had secured agreements covering approximately 13 million tonnes of annual LNG sales. Additional commitments must be secured and converted into binding agreements to help meet the requirements for project financing.
The development is being promoted by the Trump administration as a way to expand US energy exports to Asian partners.
Taiwan has pledged to increase purchases of American goods, including natural gas, amid trade tensions with Washington over the island's substantial trade surplus with the United States.
For Taiwan, which relies heavily on imported energy, the Alaska project could provide another source of natural gas and diversify supply routes. However, the scale of the proposed investment, the final purchase terms and the project's financing remain important factors in determining whether the planned development proceeds.
