Trump unveils first Japan investments under trade pact

Trump announces Japan's $36 billion investment in U.S. energy projects, marking the first phase of a bilateral trade pact.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday (February 17, 2026) announced Japan’s planned investments in U.S. energy and critical minerals projects, the first tranche under a bilateral trade pact, ahead of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Washington visit.

The commitments amount to $36 billion, the U.S. Commerce Department said in a separate statement.

The projects they cover are a natural gas facility in Ohio, a crude oil export facility in the Gulf of Mexico, and a synthetic industrial diamond manufacturing facility, the department added on social media.

“Japan is now officially, and financially, moving forward with the FIRST set of Investments under its $550 BILLION Dollar Commitment to invest in the United States of America,” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The U.S. leader did not provide further details on the financing of the projects, or specify which companies would be involved.

But the Commerce Department offered more information, noting that the Ohio facility is expected to generate 9.2 gigawatts of power.