Takahiro Mori's garage meetings and sleepless flights: The Nippon Steel executive who wouldn't quit
TOKYO, May 27 — Snow lay thick in the Pittsburgh suburbs as Takahiro Mori, a bespectacled, 67-year-old executive from Japan's Nippon Steel, huddled in a cluttered garage with community leaders to reassure them he was not giving up on a bid to buy the town's steel mill.
Just days before the early January meeting, US President Joe Biden had blocked Nippon Steel's proposed US$14.9 billion (RM62.8 billion) takeover of US Steel, a move both companies said risked thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment.
With Biden's incoming successor Donald Trump also voicing opposition to the planned purchase, the outlook was bleak.
Fast forward five months and the persistence shown by the firm's chief negotiator seems set to pay off, with Trump now signalling he is prepared to support a deal.
'It's been a long, hard battle,' said Chris Kelly, the 70-year-old mayor of West Mifflin who hosted Mori for the January meeting at his garage-cum-office on a suburban residential street near US Steel's ageing Irvin plant.
He said he has met Mori on several occasions since Nippon Steel's bid was first unveiled in late 2023, including at an American football game and a Pittsburgh restaurant just over a week ago when the Japanese executive flew in to give an update on the latest developments of the planned takeover.
Nippon Steel declined to comment on the meetings.
Mori, a 40-year company veteran, has been the public face of Nippon Steel's extensive efforts to convince local workers, officials and US lawmakers of the economic merits of a merger plan that has had to weather a political firestorm.
'I just have a strong desire to make this work somehow,' a calm and smiling Mori, who serves as the company's vice chairman and executive vice president, told Reuters in an interview last week when asked about how he had personally endured the saga.
Mori said he had made around 10 trips to the United States since the start of the year alone, visiting steel towns and Washington DC, where lawmakers have been deliberating over any potential national security risks posed by the transaction.
'On the plane to the destination, I can hardly sleep,' he said, explaining that he had to read reams of documents, prepare for meetings during the flight, and work through the night to manage tasks back in Japan.
There may still be twists ahead. While Trump has said he supports a 'planned partnership' between the two companies, lingering questions remain about the scope of the deal and its costs for the Japanese firm.
High stakes
For Japan's top steelmaker, US Steel is central to its global expansion strategy at a time when domestic demand is declining.
A merger would create the world's third-largest steel producer by volume, after China's Baowu Steel Group and Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal, according to World Steel Association data.
While Mori has had a hand in the firm's overseas expansion efforts in places like Brazil and India, the acquisition of a company centred in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania in an election year presented unique challenges.
As soon as the agreement was announced in December 2023, the politically-influential United Steelworkers union issued a statement condemning US Steel for selling the storied American firm to a foreign-owned company.
Within weeks, Biden had joined his election challenger Trump in saying he was against the deal, subjecting it to the first of two rounds of national security reviews by the secretive Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
Just before Trump signalled support on Friday, the union issued a statement alleging Nippon Steel was 'a serial trade cheater' and that the sale would be 'a disaster' for American steelworkers.
In an interview with Reuters in December, union chief David McCall, said he was frustrated by what he said was the Japanese company's refusal to give assurances about their long-term commitment to the company and its workers. However, he described Mori, his opposite man in those talks, as 'personable'.
What appears to have swung the deal back in Nippon Steel's favour with the transactional Trump is money.
The firm has plans to invest US$14 billion in US Steel's operations, including up to US$4 billion in a new steel mill, Reuters exclusively reported last week.
But on the ground in Pittsburgh at least, the persistence and personal touch of Mori, who obtained a masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1992, has also left an impression on some of those he has met.
'They've embraced everything about the city of Pittsburgh,' said Kelly, the mayor, recounting that Mori was yelling and waving a towel in support when the pair attended a match for the local Pittsburgh Steelers American football team last year. — Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
24 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
$3 Billion to Buy U.S. Agricultural Commodities: Vietnam Seeks a Good Deal of Reciprocal Trade Agreement with the U.S.
MoU signing to purchase US agricultural commodities. Roundtable discussion between Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment with USABC in Washington DC. WASHINGTON D.C, US - Media OutReach Newswire - 7 June 2025 - Vietnam's Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy led a delegation of nearly 50 agencies, agribusinesses, and associations to the United States from June 2–6, 2025, to promote trade and increase imports of agricultural and timber products. The delegation held business dialogues in Iowa, Ohio, Maryland and Washington, visit aimed to boost two-way trade and open new opportunities for Vietnam to import more U.S. agrifood and timber, contributing to a more balanced trade relationship. Beyond trade, the delegation also sought access to new technologies to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam's agricultural value Duy noted that while both countries have strong agricultural sectors, their strengths are complementary rather than competitive. "With strong support from both governments, agriculture in Vietnam and the U.S. is becoming more interconnected. We now share parts of the same supply chains, which helps increase our competitiveness and benefits producers and consumers in both countries," the Minister stated. "Vietnamese agribusinesses are working closely with the government to increase purchases of US agrifood and timber products. This effort supports trade balance and strengthens the supply chain between our two countries, hence contributing to global food security". He emphasized that this initiative also reflects Vietnam's commitment to deepening trust and advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as the two countries celebrate 30 years of diplomatic the trip, Vietnamese businesses signed 20 MoUs, worth a total of $3 billion to buy U.S. agricultural commodities. These agreements highlight the strong commitment and goodwill of Vietnam's business community and government to promote balanced trade with the U.S., and to encourage the Trump Administration to reconsider high reciprocal tariffs on Vietnamese visit was warmly welcomed and highly valued by U.S. partners. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds immediately shared her appreciation on X following her meeting with Minister Do Duc Duy:Following the Governor, Mike Naig, Secretary of Iowa Department of Agriculture, put on X:Brian Baldridge, Ohio Secretary of Agriculture, emphasized during his meeting with Minister Duy that Vietnam and the US, especially Vietnam and Ohio, have complementary strengths, particularly in agricultural trade. Ohio sees strong potentials in Vietnam and recognizes the opportunities to expand bilateral trade. He noted that stakeholders from both sides should explore new ways for farmers, agribusinesses, and associations to collaborate and build strong, integrated supply chains. To support this, both governments should work to remove barriers to agricultural the signing of MoUs with Vietnamese partners to purchase more than $600 million worth of animal feed from Ohio, Patty Mann, Chair of the Ohio Corn Checkoff, stated:This was elaborated further by Wendy Osborn, Director of Market Development, Ohio Corn and Wheat:During a roundtable with the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) in Washington D.C, Ted Osius, President and CEO of USABC, expressed strong support for Vietnam's agricultural development:In response to the USABC President, Minister Duy reaffirmed the Vietnam government's strong commitment to continuing institutional reforms, improving administrative efficiency, upgrading infrastructure, and creating the most favorable environment for international businesses, including U.S. enterprises, to expand trade and investment with Vietnam in a long-term and effective the meeting with Minister Duy, the Chairs of the Agriculture Committees of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives expressed enthusiasm and optimism about the remarkable outcomes of the Vietnamese delegation's visit to Iowa, Ohio, and Washington, John Boozman was particularly impressed by Vietnam's robust economic growth and the strong potential for long-term cooperation between the two countries. He highlighted Vietnam's role as a dynamic and reliable economic partner in the Asia-Pacific region. The Senator expressed support for efforts to achieve a fair tariff agreement and pledged to fully convey Vietnam's recommendations to relevant US Glenn Thompson showed special interest in the high-value deals for US agricultural commodities secured during the Minister's visit. He expressed confidence in the prospects for deeper cooperation between the two agricultural sectors and emphasized the need for the US government to promptly address concerns over the high reciprocal tariffs that may be applied to Vietnam exports. He welcomed Vietnam's decision to commercialize biotechnology-based agricultural products imported from the US, calling it a clear signal of Vietnam's determination to modernize its agriculture and integrate more closely with the US supply and associations from both countries expressed hope that the Vietnamese and US governments would continue to support bilateral trade and strengthen links across their complementary agricultural supply chains. Their shared goal is to bring tangible benefits to millions of farmers, consumers, and businesses in both countries. As such, businesses on both sides are urging the removal of the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration on Vietnam. The 46% tariff has been reported to harm not only Vietnamese exporters but also U.S. businesses and consumers. Since agrifood is a staple commodity, higher price would place a considerable burden on average-income American households. Moreover, such measures could disrupt the supply chains that both governments and the private sector have worked hard to establish in recent wish for a trade agreement between the U.S. and Vietnam soonly concluded, thereby lowering tariffs on agricultural commodities, reinforcing shared supply chains and contributing to the prosperity of both countries under the Comprehensive Strategic #MAE The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Trump announces new US-China trade talks in London amid tariff tensions
WASHINGTON, June 7 — US President Donald Trump announced yesterday a new round of trade talks with China in London next week, a day after calling Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a bid to end a bitter battle over tariffs. The talks in the British capital on Monday will mark the second round of such negotiations between the world's two biggest economies since Trump launched his trade war this year. "The meeting should go very well," said Trump in a post on his Truth Social platform. The president added that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would meet the Chinese team. The first talks between Washington and Beijing since Trump slapped levies on allies and adversaries alike took place in Geneva last month. While Trump had imposed a sweeping 10 percent duty on imports from most trading partners, rates on Chinese goods rocketed as both countries engaged in an escalating tariffs battle. In April, additional US tariffs on many Chinese products hit 145 percent while China hit back with countermeasures of 125 percent. Following the talks last month, both sides agreed to temporarily bring down the levels, with US tariffs cooling to 30 percent and China's levies at 10 percent. But this temporary halt is expected to expire in early August and Trump last week accused China of violating the pact, underscoring deeper differences on both sides. US officials have accused China of slow-walking export approvals of critical minerals and rare earth magnets, a key issue behind Trump's recent remarks. While Trump's long-awaited phone call with Xi this week likely paved the way for further high-level trade talks, a swift resolution to the tariffs impasse remains uncertain. — AFP
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
When the empire goes off script — Abbi Kanthasamy
JUNE 7 — There was a time when America felt like a machine. Cold. Calculated. Efficient. It dropped bombs with spreadsheets, toppled regimes with boardroom precision. Even its madness felt managed — orchestrated behind the curtains of Langley and the Pentagon. We grew up thinking Kennedy was taken out by the CIA. Ask a hundred Malaysians, and ninety-nine will nod solemnly. Of course lah. That's how the empire works. But now? Now the madness is out in the open. Undeniable. Almost beautiful in its rawness. It's like watching a Lamborghini spin out at 200km/h — all carbon fibre and chaos. Because for the first time in modern history, America feels human. It feels real. Flawed. Fallible. Vulnerable. And terrifying. People walk with umbrellas past a United States flag as it rains in Times Square in New York November 17, 2014. — Reuters pic At the centre of the circus stands Donald Trump — real estate huckster turned political wrecking ball. The man tried to reorganise the US federal government like he was redoing the plumbing at Mar-a-Lago. You don't just gut and retrofit the largest bureaucracy in the world in one term. It takes ten years to fix a Fortune 500 company — and that's with consultants, quarterly reports, and CEOs who aren't under criminal indictment. Trump? He barged in with gold drapes, vendettas, and Twitter. And now, he's back. Almost certain to be the Republican nominee. Facing 88 felony charges and somehow still holding court like a cult leader with Wi-Fi. Then there's Elon Musk. Once hailed as a technocratic messiah. A man who could've been Trump's golden child. Today? He's trash-tweeting the former president like a scorned ex. Musk vs. Trump is no longer a subplot — it's a main event. SpaceX vs. Spray Tan. Mars vs. Mar-a-Lago. Billionaire bloodsport. This isn't the America we were taught to admire or fear. This is America unfiltered. The circus has come to town — and the elephants are armed. So what does this mean for the rest of us? For South-east Asia, the implications are seismic. We've built decades of growth on the assumption of US stability. Trade deals. Security umbrellas. Tech partnerships. Hell, half our supply chains are threaded through Long Beach and LAX. We've trusted that while our own governments may wobble, America stood tall — the North Star of liberal democracy and global order. That illusion is dead. Trump's failed tariff wars already rattled Malaysian electronics and Vietnamese footwear exports. Now he's threatening to bring them back. The US Trade Court may have rejected them once, but the man is relentless. He doesn't listen to judges. He doesn't even read. If he finds a workaround, we're looking at a second wave of economic body blows. And the scary part? The chaos is metastasising. Courts are backlogged with lawsuits. Civil discourse is shot. Institutions are bleeding credibility. And the lines between reality TV and reality are gone. Trump doesn't just dominate the Republican Party — he's puppeteering the entire American psyche. Every indictment, every insult, every incoherent Truth Social post — it all feeds the machine. Even the Democrats, supposed defenders of sanity, seem paralyzed. Like they're trying to fight a flamethrower with a cucumber sandwich. Biden, noble as he is, feels like the last man holding a clipboard while the Titanic orchestra plays on. Why should we care? Because chaos in Washington doesn't stay in Washington. It spills. It hits us in shipping lanes. In currency markets. In semiconductor blacklists and TikTok bans. It hits our students trying to get visas. Our exporters trying to find freight slots. Our governments trying to balance between Uncle Sam and Big Brother Xi. In a region where China is getting more aggressive and Asean is still trying to find a spine, we used to rely on American clarity. But when the sheriff is drunk, and the deputy is posting memes, you start locking your own doors. And maybe that's the point. Maybe the era of Pax Americana is ending not with a bang, but with a retweet. So what do we do? We grow up. We stop outsourcing our geopolitical compass. We start building redundancy — in trade, in security, in ideology. We stop waiting for the Empire to save us and start preparing for the Empire to implode. Because what we're witnessing isn't just an election season. It's not even just Trump. It's the US soul on trial — and the whole world's watching the verdict. Somewhere deep in Putrajaya or Phnom Penh, a finance minister is refreshing the news, wondering if the US dollar can still be trusted. Somewhere in Johor, a factory manager is wondering if the next tariff list will include her product line. And somewhere in the mind of every South-east Asian strategist, a thought is growing louder: What if the Americans aren't coming? What if they're never coming back? * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
