Posting on Truth Social, Trump said the refinery project would create thousands of jobs and strengthen US energy security, though it remains unclear whether the facility is part of a broader economic deal between Washington and New Delhi.
BY PC Bureau
March 11: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday thanked India and its largest privately held energy company, Reliance Industries, for supporting what he called a historic investment to construct the first new oil refinery in the United States in nearly half a century.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that the refinery will be built in Brownsville, Texas as part of a proposed $300 billion initiative aimed at expanding US energy production and deepening economic cooperation with international partners.
It was not immediately clear, however, whether the refinery itself forms part of a broader economic agreement between the United States and India.
“Thank you to our partners in India, and their largest privately held Energy Company, Reliance, for this tremendous investment,” Trump wrote while unveiling the project.
Calling it a major milestone for the US energy sector, Trump said the facility would mark the first newly built American oil refinery in 50 years.
“America is returning to REAL ENERGY DOMINANCE,” he said. “Today I am proud to announce that America First Refining is opening the FIRST new U.S. Oil Refinery in 50 YEARS in Brownsville, Texas.”
Trump described the initiative as “a historic $300 billion deal — the biggest in US history,” adding that it would generate thousands of jobs and stimulate economic growth in South Texas.
President Donald J. Trump announces that America First Refining is opening the FIRST new U.S. Oil Refinery in 50 YEARS in Brownsville, Texas. 🇺🇸
This is what AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE looks like. 💪 pic.twitter.com/UTOW7wECCI
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 10, 2026
According to the president, the refinery—planned at the Port of Brownsville—will help supply domestic fuel markets while boosting exports and strengthening US national security.
“A new refinery at the Port of Brownsville will fuel US markets, strengthen our national security and boost American energy production,” he said, adding that the facility is expected to become “the cleanest refinery in the world” while delivering billions of dollars in economic impact.
Trump credited his administration’s policies for attracting large investments into the American energy sector.
“It is because of our America First Agenda, streamlining permits and lowering taxes, that billions of dollars in deals are coming back to our nation,” he wrote.
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He said the project would create thousands of jobs and bring long-awaited development to the region.
“It will power global exports and bring THOUSANDS of long overdue jobs and growth to a region that deserves it,” Trump said, adding: “This is what AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE looks like. AMERICA FIRST, ALWAYS!”
The announcement follows renewed efforts by Element Fuels Holdings, a Dallas-area startup that in 2024 revived plans to build the first entirely new US oil refinery in nearly five decades in Brownsville, according to Reuters.
Trump’s statement also comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, where conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States has disrupted global energy markets.
The fighting has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz—a vital maritime chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass. Tankers have been unable to transit the strait for more than a week, forcing producers to halt pumping as storage facilities fill.
The disruption has pushed global crude prices sharply higher, raising fears of prolonged supply shocks and further volatility in international energy markets.
