by WorldTribune Staff, February 18, 2026 Real World News
Japan has committed to $36 billion in investments in U.S. oil, gas, and critical mineral projects, President Donald Trump announced this week.
The investment is part of the massive $550 billion deal Trump engineered with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in July of last year.
The most significant investment is a natural gas facility in Ohio. At an expected cost of $33 billion and generation capacity of 9.2 GW, it is already being hailed as the among the largest natural gas generation projects in the world.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has listed SoftBank Group as the company overseeing the project. Japanese companies Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. have also expressed interest in participating in the gas project, per Tokyo officials.
If the facility reaches full output, it would generate power comparable to nine nuclear reactors, roughly equal to the electricity demand of about 7.4 million homes served by the nation’s largest grid, according to Bloomberg, to be operated by PJM Interconnection LLC.
The second major initiative involves a deep water crude export terminal in the Gulf of America, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The $2.1 billion Texas GulfLink project, to be operated by Sentinel Midstream, is projected to facilitate up to $30 billion in annual U.S. crude exports at full capacity, a Trump Administration fact sheet indicates.
Japan’s investments will also include a synthetic industrial diamond manufacturing facility located in Georgia. According to a newly published fact sheet to the U.S. Commerce Department’s website, diamond grit, dust, and powder rank among the most essential inputs in American industrial manufacturing.
The materials play a central role in semiconductor fabrication, automotive production, and oil and gas exploration, where cutting, grinding, drilling, and polishing performance are mission-critical, the Commerce Department said.
Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social:
Our MASSIVE Trade Deal with Japan has just launched!
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 — part of our Historic Trade Deal to REVITALIZE the American Industrial Base, create HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of GREAT American Jobs, and strengthen our National and Economic Security like never before.
Today, I am pleased to announce three TREMENDOUS Projects in the Strategic Areas of Oil & Gas in the Great State of Texas, Power Generation in the Great State of Ohio, and Critical Minerals in the Great State of Georgia.
The scale of these projects are so large, and could not be done without one very special word, TARIFFS. The Gas Power Plant in Ohio (A State I won THREE TIMES!) will be the largest in History, the LNG Facility in the Gulf of America will drive Exports, and further our Country’s Energy DOMINANCE, and our Critical Minerals Facility will end our FOOLISH dependence on Foreign Sources.
America is building again. America is producing again. And America is WINNING again.
This is a very exciting and HISTORIC time for the United States of America and Japan. Congratulations to all!
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Takaichi affirmed in a statement: “We believe this initiative is fully aligned with its core objectives: promoting mutual benefits between Japan and the United States, ensuring economic security, and fostering economic growth,” she wrote.
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