President Donald Trump announced the launch of the first investment projects under a historic trade deal with Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun will allocate $36 billion to three key ventures in the energy and mining sectors. Investments in Texas, Ohio, and Georgia fulfill commitments made last year, which helped avoid drastic tariff hikes on Japanese goods exported to the United States.

Japan's Billion-Dollar Investments

Tokyo launches projects worth $36 billion in Texas, Ohio, and Georgia, which is part of a broader package valued at half a trillion dollars.

Attack on Fed Independence

Kevin Hassett from the White House demands punishment for Fed scientists over a report showing that 90% of tariff costs are paid by Americans.

Tension in U.S.-Ukraine Relations

The White House rejected Zelenskyy's criticism, stating that Trump's policy protects taxpayers and aims for a fair end to the war.

The administration of President Donald Trump announced the actual start of the major trade agreement signed with Japan in July 2025. According to its provisions, Tokyo committed to investing a total of $550 billion in the U.S. economy in exchange for lower tariff rates. The first phase of this cooperation includes three strategic projects with a combined value of $36 billion. Among them is the construction of the largest natural gas production plant in history in Ohio and an oil terminal off the coast of Texas. The third investment concerns the extraction of critical minerals in Georgia, aimed at making supply chains independent from China. U.S.-Japan economic relations are based on the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security from 1960, which made Japan one of the U.S.'s most important allies in the Pacific region, both militarily and economically.Simultaneously, internal tension is growing around the White House's trade policy. Representatives of the National Economic Council sharply criticized a report by researchers from the New York branch of the Federal Reserve (Fed). This analysis indicated that American consumers and businesses bear 90% of the costs of tariffs imposed by the administration. Kevin Hassett called these studies a "disgrace" and called for disciplinary action against their authors, sparking a debate about expert independence in state institutions. In the background of the major investments, a diplomatic conflict with Ukraine resonates. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly expressed disappointment with Washington's stance, assessing the pressure exerted on Kyiv in negotiations with Russia as unfair. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt responded to these accusations, emphasizing that President Trump is guided primarily by the interest of American taxpayers and the pursuit of ending the tragically consequential conflict. Texas (oil and gas): 15, Ohio (natural gas): 12, Georgia (minerals): 9 $550 billion — total value of Japanese investment commitments

Mentioned People

  • Donald Trump — President of the United States, author of the new tariff policy and agreement with Japan.
  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy — President of Ukraine, criticizing the U.S. stance in negotiations.
  • Kevin Hassett — Director of the National Economic Council, criticizing the Fed scientists' report.
  • Karoline Leavitt — White House spokeswoman responding to Ukraine's accusations.