Japan’s Mitsui could study Alaska LNG project, but no decision yet

Japanese trading house Mitsui could consider studying a project to liquefy natural gas in Alaska, but no decisions have been made yet, Chief Financial Officer Tetsuya Shigeta said on Tuesday.

Japan is considering offering support for a $44-billion gas pipeline in Alaska as it seeks to court U.S. President Donald Trump and forestall potential trade friction, sources said last week.

Shigeta said he hoped a meeting expected this week between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump would help enhance Japan’s presence in the United States, reaffirming its role as the latter’s largest source of investment.