Taipei, Taiwan - In response to President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs, Taiwan's state-owned energy giant CPC Corporation has said that it is "willing" to increase natural gas imports from the US.

Officials in Taipei are looking to increase the supply of natural gas to the self-governed island while avoiding heavy tariffs from the Trump administration, as the US cracks down on steel and aluminum imports, as well as semiconductors.

Taiwan imports nearly all of its energy supply from foreign sources, with official data showing about 38% of its natural gas comes from Australia, 25% from Qatar, and just under 10% from the US.

"CPC Corporation, considering factors such as shorter shipping routes and dispersed transport routes, is indeed very interested in Alaskan natural gas," the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement.

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"The company will continue assessing the feasibility and is willing to increase purchases."

It is believed that the move may have been made in response to statements by President Trump warning that the US may impose tariffs on overseas-made chips, potentially impacting one of Taiwan's key industries.

Taiwan is a global power in the manufacturing of chips, which are used in products from Apple's iPhones to Nvidia's artificial intelligence hardware and are a key driver of its economy.

Trump has previously accused Taiwan of stealing the US chip industry and has even threatened to impose up to a 100% tax on imported semiconductors from the island.

In response to threats, Taiwan has also said that it would dispatch its Economic Minister Kuo Jyh-Huei for discussions with the US and promised that the ministry is "prepared for various possible situations," CNA reported.

Minister Kuo said that he would "refer" to Trump's recent negotiations with Mexico, Canada, and Japan in the way Taipei will respond to Trump's tariffs and is confident of a positive result.