According to the Taipei Times and the United Daily News, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on October 14 that CPC has made significant progress with a US developer on Alaska LNG. The comment followed US President Donald Trump's remark that Taiwan would buy 30 percent, and equity and contract terms are not yet settled.
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs said on October 14 that state-run CPC Corp has made significant progress in talks with a US developer on the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. According to the United Daily News and the Taipei Times, the statement responded to US President Donald Trump saying at a rally that Taiwan had agreed to buy 30 percent of Alaska's natural gas and invest further. The ministry confirmed that, under current planning, CPC would buy 6 million tonnes a year once production starts and take part in development.
광고 문의 · 300×250The ministry said CPC signed a letter of intent on Alaska LNG sales and investment in Taipei in March 2025, and that nearly a year and a half of negotiations have produced progress. Investment is estimated at up to US$4.4 billion, which it described as a ceiling estimate rather than a committed sum. If the project proceeds as planned, supply could begin as early as 2032.
The energy-security case and the tariff-talks backdrop
The ministry said its gas strategy centers on diversifying sources, and that the cooperation would add flexibility and resilience and deepen Taiwan-US ties. It also noted that cargoes could travel directly from Alaska across the Pacific, diversifying shipping routes and reducing geopolitical supply risk. These benefits are the government's own assessment, and no independent evaluation has been presented.
The Taipei Times reported in February that CPC chairman Fang Jeng-zen said annual US LNG purchases could rise by up to 6 million tonnes, lifting the US share of CPC's gas imports from 10 percent to 33 to 35 percent. The project is promoted by the Alaska Gasline Development Corp and Glenfarne Group and includes a pipeline from the North Slope and a liquefaction plant, with total investment of up to US$44 billion. The expanded purchases form part of Taipei's tariff negotiations with Washington.
On equity and investment arrangements, the ministry said they will depend on further negotiations and commercial contracts, while CPC continues to coordinate with US counterparts and conducts project studies and budget reviews under company procedures. Pricing terms have not been disclosed.
Open questions remain. A much larger US share could raise questions about price swings, the burden of long-term contracts and whether a large investment can be recovered, but the coverage reviewed did not include specific criticism or risk assessments. How the Legislature's budget review and CPC's internal procedures proceed will be the next things to watch.