At a Tokyo dinner, Trump vowed “won’t let you down” as he courts Japanese investors; deals tied to a $550bn pledge could unlock nearly $490bn in US projects.
Japanese Investors Cautious About US Economic Stability
US President Donald Trump pressed Japanese business leaders for fresh investment in the United States during a high-profile Tokyo dinner, telling guests “we won’t let you down” as he sought to convert a $550 billion pledge into concrete projects. The event brought together top executives — including Apple’s Tim Cook, Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, Toshiba’s Taro Shimada and Honda’s Toshihiro Mibe — alongside tech figures such as OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick opened the dinner by outlining new potential investments that could total roughly $490 billion, though officials described many announcements as preliminary. The finance-trade deal reached earlier this year capped tariffs on Japanese goods while committing Japan to fund a large portfolio of US projects through a mix of investments, loans and guarantees — a diplomatic push to deepen US-Japan economic ties during Trump’s Asia tour.
Trump also met Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and publicly praised her as the country’s first female leader, signalling a warm bilateral rapport. The two leaders exchanged symbolic gestures — even signing matching “Japan is Back” caps — and stressed closer cooperation on trade, critical minerals and supply-chain partnerships. The White House and Tokyo framed the outreach as part of a broader strategy to attract private capital into US infrastructure, semiconductors and clean-energy projects.
