Japanese firms signal participation in US gas and energy export projects
Several major Japanese companies, including SoftBank, Toshiba and Hitachi, have indicated interest in participating in a US natural gas export initiative and related energy and materials projects, Japan’s trade minister said. The developments tie into a broader U.S.–Japan effort to pilot strategically targeted investments from a Tokyo-funded pool that is shortlisting a data center program, a Gulf oil-handling terminal and a synthetic diamond plant, but the plans remain subject to technical, regulatory and financing hurdles.