Johnson & Johnson will invest $55B to expand US manufacturing

Johnson & Johnson is the latest company to make a big investment in the United States. AP file/Ted Shaffrey

The White House has announced another investment in the United States.

Johnson & Johnson will invest $55 billion over the next four years in manufacturing, research and development, and technology, according to the announcement. Johnson & Johnson on Friday said it represents a “25% increase in investment compared to the previous four years” and builds on its “already elevated U.S. investment levels resulting from the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act” under President Donald Trump.

“Our increased U.S. investment begins with the ground-breaking of a high-tech facility in North Carolina that will not only add U.S.-based jobs but manufacture cutting edge medicines to treat patients in America and around the world,” Chairman and CEO Joaquin Duato said in a statement.

The North Carolina plant is in Wilson. The locations of the other three facilities were not disclosed.

The latest investment comes after several companies have vowed to make investments in the U.S. in recent months:

Johnson & Johnson rival Eli Lilly and Co. announced in late February it planned to build four new factories in the U.S.

In February, Apple announced a $500 billion investment in U.S. over the next four years, including plans to hire 20,000 people and build a new server factory in Texas.

Since Trump returned to the Oval Office, he’s focused on having companies expand their manufacturing in the U.S. — a core goal of his trade war.

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