Trump and Lutnick Say Taiwan Will Buy 30 Percent of Alaska LNG Output

If the purchase commitment holds, it would represent a significant foreign offtake agreement for the Alaska LNG project and a direct link between US energy infrastructure investment and Taiwan...

President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told a rally audience in Wasilla, Alaska on Tuesday night that Taiwan has committed to purchasing 30 percent of the natural gas produced by the Alaska liquefied natural gas pipeline project, according to reporting by the Washington Examiner. The announcement was made during a campaign event held in support of Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and other Republican candidates ahead of the November midterm elections.

Trump specifically credited Sullivan with working alongside the White House to attract foreign investment into the Alaska LNG project, according to the Washington Examiner report. Sullivan has been a vocal proponent of the pipeline in the Senate, and has advocated for federal support of the project across multiple congressional sessions.

The Alaska LNG project, overseen by the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, a state-owned entity, would transport natural gas approximately 800 miles from the North Slope to a liquefaction terminal near Nikiski for export. The project has been in various stages of planning and federal permitting for more than a decade. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a final environmental impact statement for the project in 2020.

The full terms and legal structure of Taiwan's reported commitment are not yet publicly available. It is unknown whether a binding offtake agreement, memorandum of understanding, or letter of intent has been executed. The document that would clarify the commitment's legal status would be a signed commercial agreement or a formal filing with the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation or the US Department of Energy.

The Department of Energy issues export authorization for LNG. Any long-term export agreement tied to the Alaska project would require a DOE export license under the Natural Gas Act. As of the date of this report, no such license specific to a Taiwan purchase arrangement appears in the DOE's public authorization records.

Taiwan has been an active buyer of US LNG in recent years. The US Energy Information Administration reported in 2024 that Taiwan ranked among the top ten destinations for US LNG exports by volume. Taiwan's state-owned energy company, CPC Corporation, has previously entered long-term LNG supply agreements with US exporters, including a contract with Cheniere Energy disclosed in 2022.

The political context of the announcement is notable. Trump made the Taiwan commitment public at a partisan campaign rally rather than through a formal government announcement or a State Department or DOE press release. The choice of venue means the claim has not been accompanied by supporting documentation as of publication.

Sen. Sullivan has championed federal loan guarantees and permitting support for the Alaska LNG project throughout his Senate tenure. Sullivan serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over energy infrastructure legislation. His vote record on related legislation is available through the Senate congressional record.

The Alaska LNG project's total estimated cost has been cited by the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation at approximately 39 billion dollars in prior public filings, though that figure is subject to revision based on current construction cost indexes. No updated official cost estimate tied to the current financing structure has been released publicly.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's role in the announcement reflects the Trump administration's use of the Commerce Department as a vehicle for trade and investment promotion, a function historically shared with the US Trade Representative and the Department of Energy. Lutnick was confirmed as Commerce Secretary in February 2025 by a Senate vote of 51 to 45, per the Senate congressional record.

What remains unknown is the precise legal form of Taiwan's commitment, the identity of the Taiwanese entity or entities involved, the price terms of any agreement, and the timeline for final investment decisions on the pipeline. A formal DOE export authorization filing, an Alaska Gasline Development Corporation board resolution, or a State Department disclosure under the Case-Zablocki Act would be the public records most likely to answer those questions.