TAIPEI, March 27 (Reuters) - Taiwan is considering a

variety of responses to potential new tariffs from the United

States including increasing energy imports and reducing the

island's own tariffs to balance bilateral trade, government

officials said on Thursday.

Trump administration officials, including Treasury Secretary

Scott Bessent, have said that much of the reciprocal U.S. tariff

focus will be on 15 countries that have the highest trade

surpluses with the United States.

Bessent has referred to the countries as the "Dirty 15" but

has not named them.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Taiwan is one of the

15, along with countries such as China and South Korea plus the

European Union.

The tariffs are due to be announced on April 2.

Taking lawmakers questions in parliament, Taiwan's deputy

economy minister Cynthia Kiang said a specially created trade

task force had "preliminary plans" to increase energy product

imports from the United States, to boost energy cooperation with

the U.S. and enhance natural gas supply stability.

Taiwanese state energy firm CPC Corp earlier this month

signed an agreement with Alaska Gasline Development Corp to buy

liquefied natural gas and invest in the project, a move Taiwan's

President Lai Ching-te said would ensure the island's energy

security.

Kiang, when asked if car tariffs would be reduced given

Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff on auto imports, said that

the task force had "already drafted relevant plans."

Speaking at the same parliament committee session, Taiwan

Finance Minister Chuang Tsui-yun said that import tariffs on

health supplements and other products would also be reduced.

Taiwan's central bank on Wednesday defended the island's

trade and currency record, saying the high current account

surplus was a structural problem and Washington understood that.

Taiwan runs a large trade surplus with the United States,

which surged 83% last year, with the island's exports to the

U.S. hitting a record $111.4 billion, driven by demand for

high-tech products such as semiconductors, a sector Taiwan

dominates.