U.S. Court Cancels Permit for Oil Port Project with Japan

Washington, Aug. 18 (Jiji Press)--A U.S. appeals court has canceled a permit for a project to build a deepwater port, part of a 550-billion-dollar investment agreement between Japan and the United States, it was learned Tuesday.

In February 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration issued a permit for Texas Gulflink LLC's project to build a deepwater crude oil export terminal off the Texas Gulf Coast area, excluding the associated pipeline infrastructure.

However, a civic group filed a lawsuit, arguing that the approval would allow the construction of a port overlapping with another port in an area where such a facility cannot be built.

In its decision dated Wednesday, the appeals court upheld the group's argument, finding a serious procedural flaw in the approval process. The court ordered the permit to be revoked, saying that the project area was improperly designated.

The ruling highlighted risks associated with large-scale investments in the United States.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]