Japan’s investments in US set to go on despite Nippon Steel’s takeover setback

The assessment by analysts comes after US President Joe Biden blocked Nippon Steel Corp’s US$14.9 billion bid for US Steel Corp

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The vicinity of a facility of Japanese company Nippon Steel in Kashima, Ibaraki prefecture. Photo: TNS

Published: 4:09pm, 8 Jan 2025

US President Joe Biden’s decision to block Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel could hurt Washington’s credibility as Japan’s economic partner, analysts say, though they expect Japanese investments in America to remain robust despite criticisms from Tokyo.

On January 3, Biden blocked Nippon Steel Corp’s US$14.9 billion bid for US Steel Corp, citing national security concerns, slightly over a year after Nippon made its offer in December 2023.

Biden said in a statement that he had the “responsibility to block foreign ownership of this vital American company”, and that “US Steel will remain a proud American company – one that’s American-owned, American-operated, by American union steelworkers”.

On Monday, US Steel and Nippon Steel announced that they had initiated two lawsuits in response to Biden’s decision, saying they remained confident the deal was “the best path forward to secure the future of US Steel” and emphasised their right to pursue the merger, according to a statement accompanying the lawsuits.

Nippon Steel CEO Eiji Hashimoto said on Tuesday that tariffs alone would not strengthen the US steel industry, arguing that the merger would bolster US national security by creating a strong steel company as well as ensure a more resilient steel supply chain, especially in the face of global competition.

Japan’s Nippon Steel CEO Eiji Hashimoto says the merger with US Steel will bolster US national security. Photo: Xinhua

Matthew Goodman, director of the Council on Foreign Relations’ RealEcon initiative, which explores the role of the US in the international economy, said Biden’s decision to block Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel was counterproductive to his stated objectives of protecting America’s national security and strengthening supply-chain resilience.