Japan and US discuss GlobalFoundries chip plant in tariff investment deal

Japan and the United States are negotiating a semiconductor plant estimated at ¥2 trillion to ¥3 trillion ($12.9 billion to $19.3 billion) under Japan's $550 billion tariff-deal investment commitment. GlobalFoundries is considered as operator for mature and specialty chips used in cars, consumer electronics and industrial equipment, not advanced AI processors. A SoftBank Group large-scale data center is also under discussion. Nikkei Asia reported this on September 17, 2026. The first $109 billion of Japan's commitment went to oil, gas, minerals, nuclear power and gas-fired stations. Japan's trade minister said last month chips and AI would have very significant weight in future selections. U.S. tariffs on most Japanese products are capped at 15 percent under the deal. Contested: - Confirmed by unnamed officials (per BigGo) vs. Not publicly confirmed by either government (per TNW/Nikkei) - Nikkei cited no sources and gave no plant address Plant location, timeline and financing remain undisclosed.