Trump kicks off $550B Japan fund with US energy projects

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday unveiled the first projects under Japan’s $550 billion investment commitment to the United States. Trump is putting energy and critical minerals at the front of a deal he has framed as tariff-driven economic statecraft. In a social media post, Trump said the opening tranche will back an Ohio gas-fired power plant, a critical minerals site in Georgia and a liquefied natural gas facility in Texas, early signals of where Washington wants Japanese capital to land. The announcement comes weeks before Trump is due to meet Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on March 19. US-Japan trade deal: First tranche targets strategic industries Trump’s list was short but telling. He highlighted projects spanning “Oil & Gas”…