TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – State-run oil supplier CPC Corporation, Taiwan plans to import more liquefied natural gas from Alaska to help narrow the trade surplus with the US, reports said Wednesday.

Businesses in Taiwan have been looking out to see if US President Donald Trump will also slap tariffs on their products, considering the country ran a record US$64.9 billion (NT$2.13 trillion) trade surplus with the US last year. The choice of Alaska was also based on the need to diversify sources of energy, the relatively short distance between the US state and Taiwan, and the absence of dangerous areas on the route, per CNA.

CPC is already importing gas from 14 countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa, as well as from the US and Australia. The US accounted for 10% of the imports, based on three long-term contracts valid for 20 to 25 years.

The company said it was already conducting talks with several US energy development corporations to import gas from Alaska. The aim is to safeguard Taiwan’s gas supply after 2030.

At present, CPC needs 20 million tons of LNG per year, but the figure is likely to increase by several million tons over the next five years. The company is expecting the Trump administration to increase production, which might force prices down.