Luzon Economic Corridor gains seven new partners

The Luzon Economic Corridor partnership has expanded to include Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, in a move aimed at accelerating investment, infrastructure development, and regional prosperity in Luzon.

The governments of the Philippines, United States, and Japan announced the expanded partnership on May 11, 2026.

The Luzon Economic Corridor, or LEC, was announced in April 2024 as the first Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment corridor in the Indo-Pacific.

The corridor is designed to strengthen connectivity among Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas.

Through coordinated investments in transport infrastructure, energy systems, digital connectivity, and advanced manufacturing supply chains, the LEC is expected to create thousands of high-quality jobs and help transform Luzon into a more prosperous and interconnected region.

“The expansion of the LEC partnership demonstrates the power of collaboration among likeminded nations committed to transparency and shared prosperity,” said Philippine Secretary of Finance Frederick D. Go, co-chair of the LEC Steering Committee.

“Together, we are building infrastructure that will improve daily life for millions of Filipinos and create new opportunities for businesses, industries, and communities in our partner countries and across the region.”

LEC partners said they share a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and pledged to promote fair and transparent economic development.

The partners are expected to contribute through technical assistance, financing, and facilitation of private sector investments.

They will also participate in working groups focused on transport, energy, and digital infrastructure.

Australia is mobilizing investment in the corridor through Australia’s Manila Deal Team.

Australia’s support will be reinforced by technical assistance under the Partnerships for Infrastructure program and a new PHP 1.9 billion, or USD 32.6 million, partnership with the Philippines on inclusive economic growth.

Denmark is contributing by revitalizing Philippine shipbuilding, advancing green maritime innovation, and fostering investments, jobs, and sustainable industrial development.

Working with government and the private sector, Denmark’s shipbuilding initiative aims to create 10,000 jobs.

France is supporting connectivity by financing 100 bridges through official development assistance.

France is also contributing to industrial capacity building through a foreign direct investment project in the aeronautics sector.

Italy is contributing to quality, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure by increasing public financial support to help facilitate private sector investment from Italian companies.

These Italian investments will focus on the transport, semiconductors, and manufacturing sectors.

The Republic of Korea is contributing to transport and digital connectivity and sustained economic growth along the corridor through official development assistance and public-private partnership initiatives.

Korea’s support includes a PHP 1.5 billion, or USD 25.6 million, grant to establish the National Cyber Security Center and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport modernization public-private partnership project.

Sweden is supporting Luzon’s Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas freight railway through a PHP 74 million, or USD 1.2 million, grant for a feasibility study on signaling systems and operational models.

The United Kingdom is deploying its full Growth and Investment Partnerships, or GIP+, toolkit in the corridor.

The U.K. package includes technical assistance, PHP 411 billion, or USD 6.8 billion, in export finance, and capital mobilization for infrastructure and energy projects.

“The expansion of the Luzon Economic Corridor partnership shows what we can accomplish when likeminded nations unite around strategic infrastructure and shared prosperity. This initiative is creating real opportunities for U.S. business, our Philippine partners, and investors across the Indo-Pacific while countering exploitative infrastructure practices with a better alternative,” said U.S. Senior Advisor for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Ambassador Heather Variava.

“This expanded partnership reflects our shared vision for quality infrastructure development that respects transparency, sustainability, and the rule of law,” said Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Endo Kazuya.

“Together, we are building connectivity that will benefit generations of Filipinos and strengthen economic ties across the Indo-Pacific.”

The LEC forms part of broader efforts by the Philippines and its partners to improve logistics, reduce infrastructure gaps, and strengthen supply chains in strategic economic zones and transport hubs.

The corridor’s focus on Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas links major ports, airports, industrial estates, and urban markets that are central to Luzon’s role in Philippine trade and manufacturing.

Officials said the initiative presents major opportunities for domestic and international investors to participate in projects that can strengthen supply chains and improve regional connectivity.