File image of US President Donald Trump. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Feb 17, 2026) announced Japan’s planned investments in US energy and critical minerals projects, the first installment under a bilateral trade deal, ahead of Prime Minister Sane Takaichi’s visit to Washington.
The commitments total $36 billion, the US Commerce Department said in a separate statement.
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 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 US leader did not provide further details on the financing of the projects or specify which companies would be involved.
But the Commerce Department provided more information, saying the Ohio facility is expected to generate 9.2 gigawatts of power.
Synthetic Industrial Diamond Manufacturing Facility – It will be located in Georgia, Mr. Trump indicated – “100% of US demand for synthetic diamond grit will be produced offshore,” the department added.
It is said to be a “vital input for advanced industrial and technological production”.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Department said the crude oil export facility is poised to generate $20–$30 billion a year in US crude exports.
Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post initially covered Japan’s investment in a liquefied natural gas facility.
In July, Tokyo agreed to invest $550 billion by 2029 to “rebuild and expand core American industries,” according to the White House.
The threat of 25% to 15% on Japanese imports was pledged in exchange for a reduction in US tariffs.
But only one to 2% of the $550 billion is real capital, Japan’s Trade Minister Ryoichi Akazawa said.
The rest will be made up of bonds and loans from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and credits guaranteed by the Japanese state.
On March 19 Ms. The clock is ticking ahead of Takaichi’s visit to the White House, and according to media reports, tempers have begun.
A key item on the agenda for Ms. Takaichi’s anticipated meeting with Trump is the implementation of a trade and economic agreement.
For now, Mr. Trump has mentioned the progress made by both countries.
“The scale of these projects is huge, and cannot be done without one special word, TARIFFS,” he wrote on social media on Tuesday (February 17, 2026).
Published – February 18, 2026 05:02 am IST
