Trump unveils first Japan investments under trade pact

President Donald Trump announced Japan’s planned investments in US energy and critical mineral projects, the first tranche under the bilateral trade agreement, on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, ahead of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Washington.

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

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

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

The US leader did not provide further details about the financing of the projects or specify which companies would be involved.

However, the Department of Commerce offered more information, stating that the Ohio facility is expected to produce 9.2 gigawatts of energy.

The department added that the synthetic industrial diamond production facility, which Mr. Trump said would be in Georgia, “will produce 100% of the U.S. demand for synthetic diamond sand onshore.”

He noted that it is “a critical input for advanced industrial and technological production.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Commerce said the crude oil export facility will generate $20-30 billion in annual revenue from U.S. crude exports.

Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post initially said Japan’s investment would include a liquefied natural gas facility.

Tokyo agreed in July to invest $550 billion through 2029 “to rebuild and expand essential American industries,” according to the White House.

The commitment was made in exchange for reducing threatened U.S. tariffs on Japanese imports from 25% to 15%.

But Japanese Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa said only 1 to 2% of the $550 billion would be real capital.

The remainder will consist of bonds and loans from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and loans guaranteed by the Japanese government.

The clock was ticking ahead of Ms. Takaichi’s planned White House visit on March 19, and nerves were beginning to fray, according to media reports.

Implementing the trade and economic agreement is likely to be a key item on the agenda of Ms. Takaichi’s expected meeting with Trump.

For now, Mr. Trump praised the progress made by both countries.

“The scale of these projects is so huge that they cannot be done without a very special word: TARIFFS,” he wrote on social media on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.