Friday, May 5, 2017 11:15 am

NEW YORK (From The Australian) -- Billionaire Australian businessman Anthony Pratt has received a standing ovation from US President Donald Trump after pledging $US2 billion in investment in the US.

Mr Pratt made the announcement at the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea event in New York.

Mr Pratt, during a speech on stage, told Mr Trump he was making the decision because the president had made "America the greatest place in the world to manufacture".

"Tonight I'd like to pledge another $US2bn over the next 10 years doubling our rate of investment to create an additional 5.000 high-paying manufacturing jobs mainly in the midwest," Mr Pratt, who was seated beside First Lady Melania Trump at the dinner, said.

Mr Trump stood up and clapped while the rest of the room mainly sat. Mr Pratt is the executive chairman of Visy Industries and Pratt Industries United States, the world's largest privately owned packaging and paper company. The event was being held on the USS Intrepid, a decommissioned World War II aircraft carrier docked on the Hudson River.