June 10, 2026

Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Iwabuchi Tomo at a meeting of the House of Councillors Audit Committee on June 8 pointed out that the Japanese government-invested LNG business in Texas has caused significant damage to local residents, such as air pollution, demanding a fact-finding investigation and the cancellation of the investment.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) are wholly owned by the Japanese government, and make investments and loans to a company which operates an LNG plant near Freeport City in Brazoria County, Texas.

Iwabuchi noted that in May, a group of local residents came to Japan to request JBIC and NEXI to stop their support to the LNG business operator on the grounds that the LNG plant has caused air pollution and significant damage to local fisheries, which is a major industry in the area. The JCP lawmaker urged those who were present at the meeting from JBIC and NEXI to conduct a fact-finding survey and demanded the cancellation of financial support to the LNG business operator.

Past related article:
> US citizens call on Japanese gov’t-funded bank to stop investing in problematic LNG project in Texas [June 7, 2026]