The Japanese iron and Steel Company announced on June 14 that its planned takeover of a U. S. steel company had been“Cleared” by the U. S. government. Kyodo news agency reported that Japan iron will acquire 100% of the U. S. Steel common stock, the latter as a wholly owned subsidiary. As a condition of approval, Japanese iron and the U. S. government signed a“National Security Agreement.”. Under the agreement, Japanese steel will issue to the U. S. Government in the U. S. Steel important operating matters of key influence on the U. S. steel“Golden shares.”. President Donald Trump said the move “Reduces the security threat”. “Japan Economic News” 14, said the U. S. anti-monopoly agency review has been completed, the acquisition is expected to be formally signed within the next week.
Some key details of the acquisition were not immediately clear, CBS News reported Monday. Donald Trump said earlier in the week that “Gold shares” would give the US “51 per cent ownership” and “Full control” of US Steel. The deal between the two companies has faced turmoil and uncertainty since it was first 2023. Former President Biden suspended the deal in the final weeks of his term on “National security” grounds, but Donald Trump ordered a review of the deal after taking office, and suggested that Japanese companies could make“Substantial investments” in U. S. steel companies, rather than buying them outright.
Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun said Nippon Steel did not disclose details about the“Gold shares”, but an executive at the company said the“Gold shares” did not have a vote, therefore, the Japanese iron and steel companies for the U. S. Iron and steel company management freedom is guaranteed. In addition, the agreement provides for Japanese steelmakers to invest about $11bn in US steel ahead of 2028, in addition to the acquisition funds, with the final total expected to be $14bn.
On the 14th Takefuji, the Japanese trade minister, welcomed the decision, “The Japanese government believes that this investment will enhance the innovation capacity of the japanese-american steel industry and promote a closer partnership between Japan and the United States,” said Donald Trump, referring to his conditional “Green light” on the Japanese Steel Company’s planned acquisition of American steel companies, japanese public opinion welcomed it. Japan’s“Sankei Shimbun” 15 in an editorial, said the United States and Japan’s steel companies in the“Economic security” significant.
Meanwhile, Japanese media have focused on the acquisition behind Japan’s global steel market for the“Long-term ambition.”. Japan Economic News said Monday that the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle of the Japanese iron and Steel Company’s global expansion has been completed by completing its acquisition of the US Steel Company. According to the analysis, the global growth strategy of Japanese iron is a“Steel triangle” centered on Japan, fast-growing emerging country India, and the three most promising markets of the United States.
According to the World Steel Association, Japanese 2024 produce 43.64 million tons of crude steel, the fourth largest in the world, and American steel companies produce 14.18 million tons, the 29th largest. The two companies would be close to China’s Anshan Iron and steel group, the world’s third-largest producer by output.
“Japanese economic news” that the Japanese iron market in India to seize the lead, the Indian economy is currently in a high-speed growth stage. In 2019, Japanese steelmakers teamed up with European ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker, to buy Essar, an Indian steelmaker. The United States is the latest jigsaw to complement Japan’s steel industry ambitions. According to Japanese iron and steel, the United States is“The world’s largest high-end steel market,” with strong demand for high-performance cars and other end products, japanese iron and steel use its technical capacity to supply steel materials, is expected to reap considerable profits.
On June 4th the US government raised import tariffs on steel and aluminium from 25 per cent to 50 per cent in an attempt to“Protect us domestic industry”. The impact of tariffs on imported steel material prices, many U. S. steel companies to raise prices. Japanese steel believes that the acquisition of U. S. Steel Companies, is expected to capture more of the U. S. Advanced Steel Market, at present a large number of high-grade steel dependent on imports from abroad.