US President Donald Trump says Taiwan has agreed to buy 30 per cent of the natural gas from a proposed Alaska pipeline for 20 years….reports Asian Lite News Desk
US President Donald Trump has announced that Taiwan has agreed to purchase 30 per cent of the natural gas produced by a proposed Alaska pipeline project for 20 years and invest an additional $4.4 billion in its development. Trump said the agreement would strengthen the project’s financial prospects and support US energy exports to Asian markets.
Speaking at an election rally in Wasilla, Alaska, Trump said the Taiwanese commitment would help secure the commercial future of the proposed 800-mile pipeline, which his administration is promoting as a major energy infrastructure project.
“Taiwan has just agreed to buy 30 per cent of the gas coming off the pipeline for the next 20 years,” Trump told supporters.
He said the long-term purchase agreement would provide greater financial certainty and improve the project’s prospects of moving towards construction.
“Will also invest $4.4 billion into the project, on top of $50 billion already committed by South Korea to Alaska,” the President said.
The announcement places Taiwan and South Korea at the centre of Washington’s efforts to develop Alaska’s natural gas resources and expand energy exports to Asia.
Trump said his administration had completed the federal permitting process for the pipeline, removing what he described as a longstanding obstacle to construction.
“Every single permit that you need has been granted,” he said.
The President credited Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska with helping advance the project, adding that his administration had worked for years to bring it closer to construction.
He also linked the pipeline to his broader energy policy, which focuses on expanding domestic production, attracting foreign investment and reducing energy costs for American households.
According to Trump, the project would create more than 13,000 jobs and save a typical Alaskan household more than $2,000 annually on energy bills. These figures were presented by the President at the rally.
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US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who accompanied Trump, provided further details about the negotiations with Taiwan and South Korea.
Lutnick said discussions with the Taiwanese government had taken place during the preceding week.
“All week we were working with the Taiwanese government, and they agreed to buy 30 per cent of everything produced on that line,” he said.
He also said South Korea had committed $50.1 billion towards construction of the pipeline.
“They will invest $4.4 billion on top of the Koreans to make sure this line gets built,” Lutnick said, referring to Taiwan.
The Commerce Secretary credited Trump with pushing officials to strengthen the project following its announcement at the White House.
Trump presented the agreement as part of a wider effort to attract overseas investment, expand American manufacturing and increase domestic energy production.
The President also criticised Taiwan over the historical shift of semiconductor manufacturing from the United States to the island. He argued that previous American trade policies had failed to protect domestic chip production.
Trump said his administration’s tariff policies were encouraging companies to move manufacturing operations back to the United States.
The Alaska LNG project is designed to transport natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope to the state’s southern coast, where it could be processed and exported to international markets as liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The proposed pipeline could provide a supply route to Asian economies, including Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, where imported LNG plays an important role in electricity generation and industrial energy consumption.
The project is intended to connect Alaska’s substantial natural gas resources with overseas markets, potentially creating new export opportunities for the United States. However, its development will depend on the project’s financing, construction and commercial arrangements, alongside demand for Alaskan gas in international markets.
