U.S. President Donald Trump told lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday that the United States and Japan are "forming a joint venture" to export liquefied natural gas from Alaska, adding that the two sides are "all set to make that deal now." He described the collaboration as a follow-on to a broader trade agreement reached with Tokyo earlier in the evening. The envisioned partnership would underpin the long-delayed Alaska LNG project, a roughly $44 billion plan to build an 800-mile pipeline from the state’s North Slope to a liquefaction terminal on the Kenai Peninsula for overseas shipment. The project has struggled for years to secure binding supply contracts and financing. According to a senior U.S. official, financial support could draw on a Japan-backed investment vehicle of up to $550 billion earmarked for projects in the Americas, although final terms have not been settled. Trump’s comments suggest the administration is seeking to leverage that fund to revive the Alaska venture. Tokyo has not formally confirmed the arrangement. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said it is checking the details, and leading LNG buyers JERA and Tokyo Gas said they are not currently involved in any Alaska joint venture. Whether the political agreement will translate into binding commitments needed to advance Alaska LNG remains unclear.