logo
Nippon Steel finalizes deal to make U.S. Steel wholly owned

Nippon Steel finalizes deal to make U.S. Steel wholly owned

Kyodo News5 hours ago

KYODO NEWS - 35 minutes ago - 23:26 | All, Japan, World
Nippon Steel Corp. said Wednesday it has finalized a $14.1 billion deal to acquire United States Steel Corp. as a wholly owned subsidiary after U.S. President Donald Trump reversed his initial opposition and allowed the deal to proceed.
The move will give Japan's largest steelmaker, and the world's fourth-largest, greater access to the growing U.S. market for high-grade steel, with U.S. Steel issuing a golden share to the U.S. government that grants veto power over key management decisions.
"Together, Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel will be a world-leading steelmaker, with best-in-class technologies and manufacturing capabilities," the two companies said in a joint statement.
Nippon Steel said it has concluded a National Security Agreement with the U.S. government and pledged to invest around $11 billion by 2028 in the iconic but struggling Pittsburgh-based company.
Under the agreement, the U.S. president or a designated official will have the right to approve certain management decisions, including the closure or idling of U.S. Steel's existing manufacturing facilities in the United States.
Related coverage:
Trump effectively approves Nippon Steel's takeover of U.S. Steel
Trump says U.S. Steel controlled by him with "golden share"
Trump's steel tariff hike not raised in Japan-U.S. talks: negotiator

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

G7 expands critical minerals cooperation to de-risk from China
G7 expands critical minerals cooperation to de-risk from China

Kyodo News

timean hour ago

  • Kyodo News

G7 expands critical minerals cooperation to de-risk from China

By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - 14 hours ago - 13:48 | All, World, G7 The leaders of the Group of Seven democracies on Tuesday launched an action plan aimed at reducing risks to critical mineral supply chains, often resulting from overdependence on China. The leaders, gathered in Canada for their annual summit, said they agreed to step up cooperation within the group and with like-minded countries to protect economic security against threats such as nonmarket practices sometimes seen in the sector. The strategy was unveiled at a time when China dominates the global supply of rare earths and other minerals essential for modern technologies, with a track record of weaponizing export controls. The areas of cooperation mapped out in the plan, which does not mention China by name, include monitoring for critical minerals shortages, coordinating responses to "deliberate market disruption," and diversifying and onshoring, where possible, mining, processing, manufacturing and recycling. The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, as well as the European Union, said the G7 will develop a road map by the end of the year for "standards-based" markets for critical minerals that reflect the real costs of extraction, processing and trade. The G7 will also cooperate more closely together to increase investment in "responsible" critical minerals projects. "They stressed the importance of constructive and stable relations with China, while calling on China to refrain from market distortions and harmful overcapacity," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in his chair's summary after hosting the summit in the mountain resort of Kananaskis. Before returning to Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told a press conference in Calgary that he had underscored the importance of the G7's further engagement in the Indo-Pacific region and "we agreed to work together to address various issues surrounding China." Making a departure from its usual practice, the 50-year-old group did not issue a comprehensive joint statement at the end of their two-day discussions, which G7 officials said reflected the difficulty of agreeing on language over key issues following the return of U.S. President Donald Trump. Under such circumstances, they instead endorsed other documents that Canada calls "action-oriented" papers, including those related to cooperation on artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and transnational repression. On Tuesday, a day after Trump abruptly exited the summit, the six other G7 leaders rallied around Ukraine, at a time when Russia continues to bombard civilian targets and reject cease-fire proposals. They discussed the situation in Ukraine with its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO chief Mark Rutte, both of whom were invited as guests. "We are resolute in pursuing all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions," Carney said at a closing press conference, emphasizing that Trump also endorsed this stance. During a session dedicated to Ukraine, Ishiba made the case that the G7's continued unity is vital to push Russia to take concrete action for "an early, full cease-fire and, ultimately, a just and lasting peace," according to the Japanese government. It said Ishiba, who attended a G7 summit for the first time, also voiced serious concern about the deepening ties between Russia and North Korea, warning that Pyongyang receiving more assistance from Moscow would pose security threats to the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. On the second day of discussions, some other leaders from outside the group, including Australia, India and South Korea, joined their G7 counterparts in a session on energy security. Besides the summit, they were hoping to hold pull-aside talks with Trump, but the U.S. president left a day earlier, citing the need to work on what he called a "real end" to Iran's nuclear program as it and Israel exchanged air strikes for a fifth day. Before his departure, Trump had also been scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy. In a statement released late Monday, the G7 leaders called for de-escalation in the Middle East and said Iran is a "principal source of regional instability and terror." They also backed the security of Israel, which last week launched unprecedented strikes on Iran that killed top military commanders and damaged nuclear sites. Related coverage: Japan, U.S. fail to reach tariff deal at Ishiba-Trump summit Japan PM defends global trade order at G7 amid Trump tariff tensions

FOCUS: Trump wants Japan's clout, but more needed before tariff deal
FOCUS: Trump wants Japan's clout, but more needed before tariff deal

Kyodo News

time2 hours ago

  • Kyodo News

FOCUS: Trump wants Japan's clout, but more needed before tariff deal

By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - 17 minutes ago - 03:05 | All, World As widely expected, U.S. President Donald Trump held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Canada, but their conversation turned out to be rather brief, indicating there is much more work to do before they can strike a deal on tariffs. Trump and Ishiba sat down together on Monday for about half an hour on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit, producing a mere confirmation that trade negotiations will continue following six rounds of ministerial discussions since mid-April. In an apparent reflection of the not-so-easy situation with Japan, when asked by a reporter how his second in-person meeting with Ishiba went, Trump responded with only one word: "Well." Later, on the way back to Washington on Air Force One, Trump said it was a "great conversation" and "I thought he was terrific, actually," referring to Ishiba. But he added that the Japanese are "tough." With the imposition of hefty tariffs on imports, Trump has pledged to slash U.S. trade deficits and rejuvenate domestic manufacturing. The United States imports far more than it exports, with Trump strongly believing its negative trade balance is primarily the result of the "unfair" trade practices of other countries. In the case of Japan, Trump and senior officials of his administration have often complained that almost no American cars are sold in the country, blaming the situation on perceived market barriers such as Tokyo's safety and environmental regulations. They have pointed to the low sales volume in Japan as a good example of American manufacturers not being on equal footing with their rivals. Unlike Japan, which maintains a zero-tariff policy on imported passenger vehicles, the Trump administration raised the tariff rate on such vehicles by 25 percent to 27.5 percent in early April. Among the Trump administration's barrage of higher tariffs, the sharp hike is Japan's biggest headache as the automotive industry is a powerful driver of its economy. "Automobiles are truly a major national interest," Ishiba told reporters, suggesting that Trump's resistance to scrapping or substantially lowering the auto tariff remains a key impediment in negotiations. "We will do everything in our effort to protect this kind of national interest." William Chou, deputy director of the Hudson Institute's Japan Chair, said that in light of recent signals from Tokyo and Washington, he sees neither side as being in a rush to make a deal. Chou said that is partly due to their aim of gaining "negotiation leverage." Compared with other major U.S. trading partners, Japan has far more strength in bargaining, he said, noting that it has been the largest investor in the United States in recent years, employing more than 1 million workers, and it also has an incomparable capacity to cooperate on the economic security front. When Ishiba visited Washington in February, he pledged to Trump that Japan's direct investment, totaling about $800 billion, would be further increased to $1 trillion. Trump has framed higher tariffs as a means to protect national security, using Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act as a legal basis. He regards sectors such as automobiles, steel, semiconductors, critical minerals, energy and shipbuilding as top priorities. "While other American allies may have been able to collaborate with Washington in a few of these sectors, only Japan has the technical know-how, the manufacturing capacity, the financial resources and the shared heightened concerns over economic coercion (from China) to work with the U.S. in all of these sectors," he said. Trump has given Japan and other key trading partners a 90-day reprieve from what he calls country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs. Last week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the point man for the tariff negotiations, said Washington could extend the pause, set to expire in early July, if its trading partners continue to negotiate "in good faith." Wendy Cutler, a former acting deputy U.S. trade representative, said Japanese negotiators have the advantage as the administration is "under heavy pressure to produce trade deals during the 90-day truce period." Cutler said that although reducing Japan's trade surplus is the number one priority for the administration, the scope of negotiations is broad, as objectives ranging from improving market access to boosting cooperation in critical minerals, energy and other sectors deemed strategic to national security are also in play. Looking ahead, Cutler, who is now vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Chou of the Washington-based think tank both believe there could be bumps in bilateral relations even if the two countries manage to reach some agreement in the coming weeks. They suggested that the areas of potential economic security cooperation could be a double-edged sword as the Trump administration may unleash more tariffs in sectors important to Japan, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and parts for commercial aircraft, all of which are currently subject to its investigation under Section 232. Chou said that "another hiccup may be the lack of Japanese movement" on a liquid natural gas project in Alaska, a pillar of Trump's energy agenda. "If there remains inaction (either by the Japanese private sector or the government), there will likely be continued frustration in the White House that may spill over," he said. Related coverage: PM Ishiba says Japan Inc. suffering under Trump tariffs Trump says he sees chance of trade deal with "tough" Japan G7 leaders agree to expand critical minerals cooperation

Carmakers' Anxiety Grows as U.S. Tariff Talks Stall;Japan Exporters May Have No Choice But to Raise Prices
Carmakers' Anxiety Grows as U.S. Tariff Talks Stall;Japan Exporters May Have No Choice But to Raise Prices

Yomiuri Shimbun

time4 hours ago

  • Yomiuri Shimbun

Carmakers' Anxiety Grows as U.S. Tariff Talks Stall;Japan Exporters May Have No Choice But to Raise Prices

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Automobiles produced in Japan for export are lined up at the port of Kawasaki in March. Concerns are mounting among Japanese carmakers that Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations will be prolonged, as the two sides failed to reach an agreement at their summit meeting on Monday. With some new U.S. tariffs, including those on automobiles, already in place, Japanese firms can expect a greater impact the longer negotiations continue. Japanese carmakers and companies in other industries may need to review their pricing strategies for the U.S. market. Subhead: Tariff help desks At a press conference following Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto expressed his intention to implement measures that would mitigate the impact on domestic companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises. 'We are receiving an increasing number of inquiries about cash flow,' he said. 'July 9 is the deadline for the [imposition by the United States of its currently suspended] additional reciprocal tariffs, so I want to understand the situation and discuss this issue with the prime minister.' In April, the government set up tariff help desks at 1,000 locations nationwide. By early June, the desks had received about 3,500 consultations, and inquiries related to cash flow had recently increased, according to sources. The automobile industry is particularly concerned about the impact. In fiscal 2024, automobiles and auto parts accounted for a total export value of ¥7.4 trillion, representing 34.2% of all of Japan's to the United States. Given its broad base, the car industry's impact on the Japanese economy will be significant. Vexing situation The Japanese government is seeking a comprehensive review of U.S. tariffs, and lowering automobile tariffs is its top priority in negotiations. A Japanese government official said, 'We must prepare for a long battle,' as the divide between Japan and the United States continues to persist. A senior executive at a major automaker sighed: 'We had high hopes, so this is disappointing. However, an easy compromise would also be problematic. We remain in a vexing situation.' Toyota Motor Corp. estimates that the increased costs associated with U.S. tariff measures will reduce its operating profit by ¥180 billion in April and May alone. Subaru Corp., whose vehicles are popular in the United States, exports from Japan more than 40% of the cars it sells in the United States. This reliance on exports is expected to reduce its operating profit by up to ¥360 billion for the fiscal year ending March 2026. The longer the negotiations drag on, the more the manufacturers' profits will decrease, which will inevitably affect parts suppliers as well. Possible price hikes Japanese automakers have been selling vehicles in the United States primarily from inventories exported before the tariffs took effect. Now, with more than two months having passed since the tariffs were imposed, their inventories are beginning to dwindle. As tariff costs directly translate to export costs, a senior executive at a major automaker stated that it would be impossible for their company to absorb all tariff costs themselves, indicating that they would eventually have to resort to price increases. Many Japanese automakers have been cautious about raising prices, fearing it could dampen demand for new cars. However, they may soon be forced to reevaluate their pricing strategies. 'If additional tariffs on the automobile industry continue, it could trigger a gradual economic recession,' said Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at Nomura Research Institute Ltd. Nevertheless, he suggested that a revision of tariff policies could occur if inflation concerns in the United States increased. He advised the government to 'patiently await a revision rather than easily yield to the United States.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store