Japanese Toshiba logo. EPA Yonhap News. 

The Japanese and U.S. governments announced a list of U.S. business interests for Japanese companies on the occasion of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Japan.

According to the "Joint Fact Sheet on U.S.-Japan Investment" released on the Japanese government's website on the afternoon of the 28th, Japanese companies are interested in investing in four major areas in the U.S.: energy, power development for artificial intelligence (AI), strengthening AI infrastructure, and critical minerals.

The scale of these businesses, which can be considered candidates for investment by Japanese companies, amounts to a total of $400 billion (approximately 575 trillion won), according to Kyodo News and NHK.

More than 10 companies have expressed interest in investing in the U.S., including Hitachi, Toshiba, Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric, and SoftBank Group.

The largest projects are energy-related businesses by Westinghouse and GE Vernova/Hitachi (GVH). The scale of each project is $100 billion (approximately 144 trillion won).

In the case of Westinghouse, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba, and IHI are considering participation in the construction of AP1000 reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs).

Hitachi is interested in GVH's SMR construction. GVH was established as a joint venture between General Electric (GE) and Hitachi in the U.S.

In July, Japan promised to invest $550 billion (approximately 791 trillion won) in the U.S. as part of a trade agreement reached with the U.S.

In the fact sheet, the governments of both countries stated, "We express strong expectations for the promotion of various business responses that will contribute to strengthening supply chains in the future, including those covered by the $550 billion U.S. investment memorandum signed by the U.S. and Japanese governments on September 4."

The investments Japan will make will be reviewed by an investment committee composed solely of Americans, chaired by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and no investment destinations have been decided yet.

Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, stated in an interview with the Nikkei Nihon Keizai Shimbun the previous day that more than half of Japan's U.S. investment could be in power and energy development.

If Japanese companies participate in some of the businesses included in the fact sheet, it is likely to be included in the U.S. investment amount.

However, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry explained that the fact sheet lists companies that have expressed interest in the projects, and the execution of investment has not yet been decided.

In this regard, Secretary Lutnick held a document signing ceremony inviting the executives of Japanese companies that showed interest in these projects, and executives from SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son, Hitachi, Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric, and Toshiba attended, Nikkei reported.

After the signing event, Secretary Lutnick reportedly said, "This is the beginning of a great relationship between the U.S. and Japan."

The U.S. and Japan also signed a memorandum of cooperation to expand shipbuilding capacity on the same day.

In relation to this, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. and Japan would cooperate in shipbuilding on the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington, aboard which he was with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

President Trump said, "I heard from Prime Minister Takaichi that Toyota Motor Corporation will also establish factories across the United States with an investment of approximately $10 billion (about 14.3 trillion won)," according to Bloomberg News.

Toyota Motor Corporation's investment was not mentioned in the "Joint Fact Sheet on U.S.-Japan Investment."

President Trump met with business leaders, including Chairman Masayoshi Son, for a commemorative photo on the evening of the same day, and in his dinner speech, he expressed expectations for investment, saying, "Since the presidential election in November last year, we have attracted funds, and a lot more will come in the future," NHK reported.

Yonhap News