Trump Announces Three Japan‑Backed Energy Projects Ahead of Takaichi Summit
Updated (5 articles)
Announcement on February 17, 2026 via Truth Social President Donald Trump revealed three Japanese‑funded projects located in Texas, Ohio and Georgia, describing them as the first tranche of the $550 billion Japan‑U.S. trade agreement [1][2]. The investments target oil & gas export, power generation and critical‑minerals production, and together total roughly $36 billion. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick supplied technical details, linking the deals to the new bilateral trade framework.
Project scale varies between reports The Texas site is a deep‑water crude‑oil export hub projected to generate $20‑30 billion annually [1]. Ohio’s facility is a 9.2‑GW natural‑gas power plant, described by Lutnick as the largest of its kind in history [1][2]. Georgia’s plant will produce synthetic industrial diamonds to satisfy 100 % of U.S. demand for critical minerals, though the second article frames it as a broader critical‑minerals complex [1][2].
Tariffs framed as deal‑makers Trump emphasized that “one very special word, TARIFFS,” enabled the projects, asserting they will create hundreds of thousands of jobs and secure supply chains [1][2]. He linked the tariff policy to reduced dependence on foreign sources and highlighted the investments as evidence of America’s renewed industrial dominance.
Diplomatic follow‑up and pressure on South Korea A White House summit with Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is set for the following month, after the Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide parliamentary victory [1][2]. An AFP photo shows Trump and Takaichi aboard the USS George Washington in 2025, underscoring high‑level ties. Trump warned South Korea that failure to meet its $350 billion pledge could trigger a rise in reciprocal tariffs from 15 % to 25 % [1][2].
Sources
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1.
Yonhap: Trump Announces Three Japanese Investment Projects in Texas, Ohio, Georgia: Details the three energy projects, total $36 billion investment, tariff justification, and upcoming summit with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, plus pressure on South Korea .
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2.
Yonhap: Trump Unveils First Japanese Investment Projects Under $550 B Trade Deal: Highlights the same three projects, emphasizes their scale (largest gas plant, Gulf‑of‑America LNG hub, critical‑minerals plant), includes a 2025 photo of Trump and Takaichi, and repeats the South Korea tariff warning .
Timeline
Aug 2025 – Korea Zinc Chairman Choi Yoon‑beom announces a strategic metals partnership with the United States during a summit between the Korean and U.S. presidents, laying groundwork for a later joint refinery project and a separate germanium‑production MoU with Lockheed Martin [5].
Dec 14, 2025 – Korea Zinc and the U.S. government agree to a roughly 10 trillion‑won (US$6.8 billion) joint investment to build a critical‑metals refinery in the southeastern United States; a board meeting later that day will finalize the deal, with Washington contributing about 2 trillion won and a joint‑venture to be formed with U.S. defense firms [5].
Dec 15, 2025 – Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick calls the Korea Zinc‑U.S. refinery “a big win,” noting that the 650,000‑sq‑m plant will produce gallium, germanium, indium, antimony, copper, silver, gold and zinc for defense, AI, quantum computing and advanced manufacturing, and that the United States will have priority access to the output starting in 2026 [4].
Dec 24, 2025 – The Seoul Central District Court dismisses an injunction filed by Young Poong Corp. and MBK Partners, clearing the way for Korea Zinc to raise 2.85 trillion won through a third‑party share allotment to a joint venture with the U.S. Department of War that will fund the Tennessee critical‑metals refinery [3].
2025 (photo) – An AFP photo shows President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi boarding the USS George Washington in Yokosuka, underscoring the high‑level diplomatic ties that precede their upcoming summit [2].
Feb 2026 (early month) – Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party wins a landslide parliamentary election, securing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s mandate and setting the stage for a White House summit with President Trump later in the month [1][2].
Feb 17, 2026 – President Donald Trump announces three Japan‑backed projects worth $36 billion in Texas (oil & gas), Ohio (9.2‑GW natural‑gas power plant) and Georgia (synthetic industrial‑diamond facility), crediting the $550 billion Japan‑U.S. trade deal and “one very special word, TARIFFS” for making the deals possible and promising hundreds of thousands of jobs and reduced foreign dependence [1][2].
Feb 2026 (next month) – A White House summit is scheduled between President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to cement the $550 billion trade pact commitments and discuss further strategic investments, including the newly announced energy projects [1][2].
2026 (future) – The United States secures priority access to Korea Zinc’s expanded production of critical metals beginning in 2026, strengthening supply chains for defense systems, semiconductors and advanced technologies [4].
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Yonhap: Trump Announces Three Japanese Investment Projects in Texas, Ohio, Georgia
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Yonhap: Trump Unveils First Japanese Investment Projects Under $550 B Trade Deal
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Yonhap: Korea Zinc and the U.S. plan joint 10 trillion won critical metals refinery in the southeastern U.S.