(THE WHITE HOUSE) Last summer, the Trump Administration announced a landmark economic agreement with Japan. The trade deal is officially known as the U.S.-Japan Strategic Trade and Investment Agreement.
Japan committed to investing $550 billion into the United States by 2029 to revitalize American industry in exchange for a reduction in U.S. tariffs on Japanese imports.
On Feb. 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Commerce revealed the first three projects, totaling $36 billion:
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Location: Vicinity of Portsmouth, Ohio
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Project Type: Natural Gas Power Facility
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Cost: $33 Billion
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Capacity: 9.2 GW — Largest natural gas generation projects in the world
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Operator: SB Energy (Subsidiary of SoftBank)
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Description: The facility represents a strategic initiative to create an integrated platform capable of supplying reliable, large-scale, dispatchable energy.
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Location: Brazoria County, Texas and Gulf of America
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Project Type: Deepwater Crude Oil Export Terminal (Texas GulfLink)
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Cost: $2.1 Billion
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Operator: Sentinel Midstream
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Description: The export terminal represents a strategic benefit to the United States. At full capacity, the export terminal is expected to generate $20-30 billion in annual U.S. crude exports ($400-600 billion over twenty years), delivering a significant increase in U.S. exports. In addition to strengthening the U.S. trade balance, the export terminal will expand American energy dominance.
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Location: Georgia
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Project Type: High-Pressure, High-Temperature Synthetic Diamond Grit Facility
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Cost: Approx. $600 Million
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Operator: Element Six
- Description: Diamond grit, dust, and powder are critical raw materials in U.S. industrial manufacturing due to their exceptional hardness and wear resistance, making them critical to U.S. economic and national security. Diamond grit is vital to the semiconductor, automotive, and oil & gas industries.
Background:
The agreement was initially reached in July 2025 and finalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in September 2025. It is managed by a U.S. Investment Accelerator and an investment committee chaired by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. President Trump has characterized the deal as the “largest trade deal ever made,” crediting his administration’s use of tariffs for securing the massive investment commitment.
A statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick called the deal a “Massive America First Trade Win”:
President Trump has approved the first three projects under Japan’s $550 billion investment commitment to the United States as part of our historic U.S.–Japan trade deal.
These projects represent a $36 billion commitment in key sectors of our economy — power generation, oil and gas, and advanced manufacturing.
This is what strategic trade looks like.
First, in Ohio, together with Japan, we will develop the largest natural gas generation facility in history, generating 9.2 gigawatts of power. We will strengthen grid reliability, expand baseload power, and support American manufacturing with affordable energy.
Second, we will build a critically important deepwater crude oil export facility in the Gulf of America. This project is expected to generate $20–30 billion annually in U.S. crude exports, secure export capacity for our refineries, and reinforce America’s position as the world’s leading energy supplier.
Third, we will create synthetic industrial diamond manufacturing capacity in the United States which will onshore production 100 percent of U.S. demand for synthetic diamond grit, a critical input for advanced industrial and technological production. We will no longer rely on foreign supply for this essential material.
Together, these projects are expected to deliver thousands of high-quality American jobs.
Japan is providing the capital. The infrastructure is being built in the United States. The proceeds are structured so Japan earns its return, and America gains strategic assets, expanded industrial capacity, and strengthened energy dominance.
I am grateful to the President for his leadership and to the Government of Japan for their partnership. The future has never been brighter.
Tagged with Japan, trade