Trump Approves Nippon–US Steel Deal, Companies Say

The announcement comes after Trump signed an executive order approving the deal, as long as they sign a national security deal with the federal government.

Rolls of steel during a rally at U.S. Steel-Irvin Works in the Pittsburgh suburb of West Mifflin, Pa., on May 30, 2025. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

United States Steel Corp. and Japan’s Nippon Steel said on June 13 that President Donald Trump approved of their proposed partnership.

“We thank President Trump and his Administration for their bold leadership and strong support for our historic partnership,” the companies said in a joint statement.

“This partnership will bring a massive investment that will support our communities and families for generations to come. We look forward to putting our commitments into action to make American steelmaking and manufacturing great again.”

Their announcement comes after Trump signed an executive order approving the deal, so long as they signed a national security deal with the federal government.

President Joe Biden rejected the acquisition via executive order on Jan. 3.

Trump was also opposed to the Japanese company’s acquisition of U.S. Steel during his 2024 presidential campaign.

After returning to the White House, Trump issued a memorandum on April 7 directing the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to conduct a review of the transaction and evaluate the potential national security risks. He later voiced approval of a partnership between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel in late May.

At the time, U.S. Steel said that it “will remain American” and will expand “through a partnership with Nippon Steel that brings massive investment, new technologies and thousands of jobs over the next four years.”

In his executive order issued on June 13, Trump stated, “There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that the Purchasers, through the Proposed Transaction, might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.”

However, he said he sees that the threats could be mitigated as long as the executive order signed by Biden on Jan. 3 preventing the sale was amended to ensure that “any substantially similar transaction” between Nippon and U.S. Steel be prohibited unless the company leaders remain in compliance with a national security agreement.

Trump also ordered that Biden’s order be amended to ensure that the committee was “further authorized to implement measures, including monitoring and enforcement measures, it deems necessary and appropriate with regard to the Proposed Transaction to protect the national security of the United States.”

U.S. Steel confirmed in its statement that it and Nippon had entered into a national security agreement that ensured approximately $11 billion in new investments would be made by 2028 and that a Golden Share—meaning a 51 percent share—would be issued to the U.S. government.

U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel also completed the review process for the Department of Justice.

Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report.