US President Joe Biden has officially blocked the proposed $14.9 billion acquisition of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel, marking a significant setback for the deal that had been under review for over a year. Biden cited national security concerns and the importance of maintaining a strong, domestically operated steel industry as key reasons for the decision.
“A strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority and is critical for resilient supply chains,” President Biden said in a statement. He emphasized that without domestic steel production and workers, the nation would be “less strong and less secure.”
The deal, which had been reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), was referred to the President in December 2024 after the committee failed to reach a consensus on its approval. Nippon Steel had made a significant offer to purchase the second-largest US steel producer in a December 2023 auction, but the proposal faced strong opposition from the United Steelworkers union (USW) and various politicians.
Biden had previously indicated a preference for US Steel to remain domestically owned. Additionally, former President Donald Trump had vowed to block foreign takeovers of American companies such as US Steel. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had urged Biden to approve the merger in an effort to maintain positive bilateral relations between the US and Japan, which are important allies in the Indo-Pacific region.
Nippon Steel, which aimed to expand its global output capacity from 65 million metric tons to 85 million tons per year, responded to concerns about the merger by offering to relocate its US headquarters to Pittsburgh and committing to uphold existing agreements between US Steel and the USW. They also proposed giving the US government veto power over any potential cuts to US Steel’s production capacity.
Despite these concessions, the merger faced significant scrutiny. Nippon Steel now plans to file a lawsuit against the US government to challenge the decision. However, legal experts suggest that mounting such a challenge may be difficult.
The failed acquisition may have broader implications for international investment in politically sensitive US companies. Alistair Ramsay, a steel analyst at Rystad Energy, warned that blocking foreign bids could discourage international investors from pursuing large-scale acquisitions of unionized US companies in the future.
Nippon Steel faces a $565 million penalty as a result of the deal’s collapse, prompting the company to reconsider its global growth strategy. Meanwhile, US Steel has expressed concerns that the failure of the merger could lead to job losses and potential mill closures, claims that the USW has dismissed as baseless threats.
The decision has sparked a broader debate about the future of US industrial policy and the balance between national security and economic growth.