Trump Announces Taiwan's Up-to-$80 Billion Commitment for Alaska LNG, Calling It the "Largest Offtake Agreement in History"
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Taiwan has agreed to an offtake commitment worth between $70 billion and $80 billion for the Alaska LNG project over the next 20 years, plus a $4.4 billion equity investment in the development.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had secured the commitment from Taiwan, which would cover roughly 30 percent of the pipeline's output for two decades. "This is the largest Offtake Agreement in History," Trump wrote, adding that the project is now a US federal government undertaking with all necessary permits and authorizations secured.
The announcement also included fresh details about South Korea's role in the project. Trump said he had been in Alaska launching the Alaska LNG Project, describing it as "the largest Energy Infrastructure Project in Alaska History," and cited a $50 billion infrastructure investment from South Korea as part of its trade and investment deal with the United States.
Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs offered a more measured account of the arrangement. The ministry said state-owned CPC Corp, Taiwan, would purchase six million tonnes of Alaska LNG annually once production begins, consistent with a letter of intent signed in March last year. It added that CPC would invest in the project's development, including the construction of a 1,299-kilometer pipeline — but noted that specific investment arrangements remain subject to further negotiations and commercial agreements.
The distinction matters: Trump's announcement described the commitment in definitive terms, while Taipei's account framed it as a preliminary arrangement still being finalized.
Reuters also reported that Trump told an Alaska rally on Tuesday that Taiwan had agreed to buy 30 percent of the gas from the Alaska pipeline project, though the terms of that deal were not immediately clear. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te previously said investment in the Alaska project would help ensure the island's energy security.
The Alaska LNG announcement is the latest in a string of investment commitments Trump has touted this week as part of his push to expand American energy and manufacturing capacity ahead of the November midterm elections. The president has separately announced a $21 billion Japan-backed semiconductor manufacturing investment in upstate New York, framing the deals as evidence that his trade strategy is converting foreign capital into American construction projects.
Critics have questioned how much of the announced investment will materialize and on what timeline, given that the Alaska LNG project has been proposed in various forms for years without reaching a final investment decision. The pipeline itself — stretching nearly 1,300 kilometers across the state — would be one of the most ambitious infrastructure undertakings in American history.
For now, the White House is treating the Taiwan commitment as a done deal. Whether the $80 billion in gas purchases and the $4.4 billion equity stake hold up to commercial negotiation will determine if the "largest offtake agreement in history" is history made or history promised.
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