South Korea and the US form a working group to discuss Alaska LNG project tariffs
Ahn Duk Geun, South Korea’s Minister of Industry, announced on Tuesday that the United States and South Korea have agreed to form a group at a working level to discuss issues such as a pipeline project for gas in Alaska, energy and shipbuilding, tariffs, and non-tariff obstacles.
Ahn, a reporter in Sejong, said that the United States had asked South Korea and others if they were interested in taking part in an Alaskan LNG Project.
He said that both sides would discuss possible cooperation in the energy sector.
He said that South Korea is heavily dependent on Middle East energy sources, so diversifying the import sources was a crucial part of energy security.
His comments follow a trip to Washington, D.C. last month to seek exemptions from Trump Administration tariffs which are expected to severely impact South Korea's export dependent economy.
Yonhap News Agency reported that during the trip Ahn expressed South Korean interest to join the $44 billion Alaska Gas Project in partnership with Japan and the U.S.
Ahn met senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Interior and co-chairman of the White House National Energy Dominance Council Doug Burgum.
Burgum told Fox News that the 800-mile LNG pipeline will allow the United States sell energy to allies, and "raise funds for the US Treasury".
South Korea is behind China and Japan the third largest importer of Liquefied Natural Gas in the world. (Reporting and editing by Ed Davies, Edwina Gibbs and Joyce Lee)
(source: Reuters)
