Trump: Nippon will invest into, not own U.S. Steel

(The Center Square) — The compromised international buyout of U.S. Steel took an unexpected turn Friday.

President Donald Trump revealed that the Japanese-owned company will back away from its $14.9 billion to acquire U.S. Steel, but rather invest money into the iconic Pittsburgh-based company.

During a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the president described U.S. Steel an “important company” that the nation couldn’t afford to lose – even though Nippon had promised to keep the headquarters and manufacturing facilities in southwestern Pennsylvania.

“We didn’t want to see that leave and it wouldn’t actually leave, but the concept psychologically not good,” he said. “So they’ve agreed to invest heavily into U.S. Steel as opposed to own it and that sounds very exciting.”

Although specific details were scant, part of Nippon’s standing buyout offer included a promise to invest billions in the region to upgrade and modernize steel production as companies seek to make their operations more climate-friendly.

The acquisition, first announced in December 2023, faced immediate opposition from the union leaders, then-President Joe Biden and Trump himself. The former cited national security concerns that arise when foreign competitors, like China, flood the market with cheaper, inferior products.

Federal regulators eventually punted judgement on the feasibility of the merger to Biden, who blocked it in the waning days of his administration. The two companies immediately filed lawsuits alleging political interference from the union and a domestic competitor, Cleveland-Cliffs, pressured Biden and regulators to scuttle the deal.

Disappointed but not deterred, vocal legislative proponent Kim Ward, the highest-ranking Republican in the state Senate, hoped Trump would change his mind someday.

“President Trump has always fought for America, so I had no doubt he would fight for the steelworkers and their families in southwestern Pennsylvania by taking a second look at the deal,” she said Friday. “While we are still waiting to hear the details of the potential investment, this is a positive development and is good news for the future of southwestern Pennsylvania, the steelworkers, and our heritage.

“President Trump is correcting a failure of the Biden Administration by building global alliances that benefit America while Gov. Josh Shapiro continues to remain on the sidelines.”

Ward, whose district encompasses U.S. Steel facilities, has pressured other high-ranking state officials to speak out on the deal. Namely, Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro has been tight-lipped about his preference, but has rather remained publicly neutral while he works as an arbitrator between all involved.