Washington, D.C. – The long-anticipated $14.9 billion acquisition of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel has received a critical political boost after former US President Donald Trump expressed his full support for the deal, calling it a “planned partnership” poised to reshape the US industrial landscape.
US Steel shares surged by 21% on Friday following Trump’s endorsement via his social media platform Truth Social. The market reaction reflects renewed investor confidence that the merger, previously entangled in regulatory and political scrutiny, is nearing completion.
According to Trump, the partnership will generate at least 70,000 new jobs and inject $14 billion into the American economy — a significant projection that has raised expectations across financial and industrial sectors. A portion of this investment, estimated at $4 billion, is earmarked for the construction of a new steel plant, further underlining the transaction’s industrial significance.
Nippon Steel publicly welcomed Trump’s remarks, noting the potential of the partnership to strengthen the company’s US footprint. While the White House has not issued an official statement, reports from Reuters confirm that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has determined that any national security risks associated with the deal can be addressed, effectively clearing a major hurdle.
The merger marks one of the largest and most geopolitically sensitive industrial transactions in recent US history. With US Steel headquartered in Pennsylvania, the political implications of foreign ownership have played prominently in public discourse, especially during an election year.
Yet, political sentiment appears to be shifting. Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick called the deal “a huge victory for America and the US Steel Corporation,” asserting that it would protect over 11,000 jobs in the state and facilitate the creation of at least 14,000 more.
On a global level, the deal underscores growing economic interdependence between the United States and its key allies in Asia. Despite rising nationalist rhetoric in some Western economies, this development signals an openness to foreign investment—provided it aligns with domestic employment and industrial priorities.
Should the transaction move forward as anticipated, US Steel will be delisted from the stock market, with shareholders expected to receive a cash payout aligned with Nippon’s $55-per-share offer made in late 2023.
This landmark transaction is being closely watched by investors, policy analysts, and governments across the world as a case study in how national interest, industrial strategy, and international cooperation can converge in today’s interconnected economic environment.
