Japanese trading house Mitsui could consider studying a project to liquefy natural gas (LNG) in the U.S. state of 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 told Reuters 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.
Asked about the reported LNG development in Alaska, Shigeta said it was a natural candidate for consideration, presenting a valuable opportunity because of its proximity to Japan and other Asian countries.
"But we have nothing we can talk about now, including our policy," he added.
(Reuters - Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Writing by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Clarence Fernandez)