By Travis Gillmore
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump has announced three new projects, worth a total of $36 billion, as the first stage of a trade deal with Japan that ultimately includes more than half a trillion dollars of funding for U.S. manufacturing and energy development.
“Our MASSIVE Trade Deal with Japan has just launched!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Feb. 17.
“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.”
The first phase of the agreement includes a natural gas power facility in Ohio capable of generating 9.2 gigawatts of electricity, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“We will strengthen grid reliability, expand baseload power, and support American manufacturing with affordable energy,” he wrote on X.
Another project will develop a facility to export approximately $20 billion to $30 billion worth of crude oil annually from deep waters in the Gulf of America near Texas.
Lutnick expects the project to “secure export capacity for our refineries, and reinforce America’s position as the world’s leading energy supplier.”
A new synthetic diamond manufacturing facility destined for Georgia will produce industrial grit, supplying enough of the critical material to satisfy U.S. demand, according to the commerce secretary.
Administration officials said the deal will prove mutually beneficial.
“The proceeds are structured so Japan earns its return, and America gains strategic assets, expanded industrial capacity, and strengthened energy dominance,” Lutnick said.
“The future has never been brighter.”
Trump said the deal evolved because tariffs strengthened his trade policies rooted in his America First agenda.
“The scale of these projects are so large, and could not be done without one very special word, TARIFFS,” Trump wrote, noting that the new projects will “end our FOOLISH dependence on Foreign Sources.”
The president leveraged tariffs repeatedly in his first year back in the White House in an effort to recalibrate trade imbalances and spur domestic manufacturing developments.
“America is building again. America is producing again. And America is WINNING again,” Trump wrote.
“This is a very exciting and HISTORIC time for the United States of America and Japan. Congratulations to all!”
