U.S. President Donald Trump has officially expressed his support for the new partnership between US Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel. This marks a significant shift after the Republican president had long opposed the companies’ merger plans.

In a statement released on Friday, May 24, 2025, Trump acknowledged that US Steel, which has been facing serious performance issues, would continue to operate within the United States following its partnership with the Japanese firm. He asserted that the collaboration between US Steel and Nippon Steel would generate at least 70,000 new jobs and inject around US$ 14 billion (roughly Rp 227 trillion) into the American economy.

"US Steel will REMAIN in America and maintain its Headquarters in the Great City of Pittsburgh," the U.S. president stated in a social media post, although he did not provide further details about the terms of the agreement between the two corporations.

Echoing Trump’s announcement, Nippon Steel conveyed appreciation for what it called a “bold action” by the president. The company pledged to uphold its commitment to preserving US Steel, which it described as a critical component of the U.S. national supply chain security.

“We share the government’s goal of protecting American workers, the American steel industry, and U.S. national security,” a Nippon Steel representative stated.

US Steel also reaffirmed that, despite receiving a major investment from Nippon Steel, it would remain an American-owned company. The firm expressed confidence that the partnership would accelerate growth in the coming years.

“US Steel remains American-owned and will undergo significant expansion thanks to the large-scale investment that Nippon will make over the next four years as part of the agreement,” the company emphasized.

Trump’s backing represents the latest development in a long-running story that began in December 2023, when US Steel and Nippon Steel announced a proposed merger valued at US$ 14.9 billion (approximately Rp 242 trillion). The deal drew fierce opposition from labor unions concerned about foreign ownership of a key national asset.

Initially, Trump strongly opposed the takeover by Nippon Steel, insisting that US Steel should remain under domestic ownership. His stance mirrored that of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who had blocked the merger during the final weeks of his presidency, citing national security concerns.

Meanwhile, the United Steelworkers (USW) union—which represents US Steel employees and has consistently objected to the deal—stated on Friday that it could not "speculate" on the implications of Trump’s remarks without more detailed information about the agreement.

“Our concerns remain that Nippon—a foreign company with a long, proven record of violating our trade laws—could further erode domestic steelmaking capacity and jeopardize thousands of good union jobs,” said David McCall, USW International President, in a statement shared with AFP.