U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick speaks during an interview with CNBC on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 11, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

TOKYO (Reuters) -U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Japan's $550 billion U.S.-bound investment package would focus on areas such as power and pipelines that are fundamental to national security and "have virtually no risk."

In an interview with the Nikkei business daily published on Monday, Lutnick said 10 to 12 Japanese companies involved in areas such as power supply and shipbuilding are preparing to explore investment opportunities in the U.S., with the first project expected to be identified as early as the end of this year.

Lutnick also said tariffs on Japanese-made semiconductors and pharmaceuticals will remain at 15%.

(Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Toby Chopra)