President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Japan will invest $36 billion in three U.S. Projects – a natural gas power plant in Ohio, an oil export facility in Texas, and an industrial diamond factory in Georgia – marking the first investments under a $550 billion pledge secured through a trade deal.
The largest single component of the initial investment is a $33 billion natural gas-fired power plant planned for Portsmouth, Ohio. According to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the facility will generate 9.2 gigawatts of electricity annually, enough to power all homes in the state. The plant will be operated by SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japanese tech investor SoftBank Group, and is intended to address growing electricity demands driven by data centers supporting artificial intelligence applications.
In addition to the Ohio power plant, Japan will invest $2.1 billion in the Texas GulfLink deepwater crude oil export facility off the Texas coast. Lutnick stated this project is expected to generate $20-30 billion annually in U.S. Crude exports and bolster America’s position as a leading energy supplier. Sentinel Midstream, the developer of Texas GulfLink, confirmed its participation in the initiative.
The third project involves a $600 million synthetic industrial diamond factory in Georgia. These investments are the first tranche of a broader $550 billion commitment Japan made to the U.S. As part of a trade agreement that lowered tariffs on Japanese imports to 15%, Trump stated on his Truth Social platform.
The $550 billion pledge was formalized in a framework agreement signed by President Trump in September 2025, which also secured commitments from Japan to purchase $8 billion of U.S. Agricultural goods, including corn, soybeans, and sustainable aviation fuel, and $7 billion per year in U.S. Energy, including liquified natural gas. Japan also agreed to expedite a 75% increase in purchases of American rice and recognize U.S. Automotive standards.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated Wednesday that the projects would “strengthen the Japan-US alliance by enabling Japan and the US to jointly build resilient supply chains in strategically key areas for economic security – such as critical minerals, energy, and AI/data centers.” Takaichi added that the initiatives embody the purpose of the Strategic Investment Initiative, promoting mutual benefit, economic security, and growth.
The announcement precedes a scheduled visit by Prime Minister Takaichi to the White House next month, following President Trump’s trip to Japan in October. Details regarding the implementation of the remaining $514 billion in pledged investments remain forthcoming.
