President Donald Trump has officially endorsed a “planned partnership” between U.S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel, calling it the largest economic investment in Pennsylvania’s history and a major win for American industry.
Trump announced Friday that U.S. Steel will remain headquartered in Pittsburgh, and that the deal will lead to the creation of at least 70,000 new jobs and inject $14 billion into the U.S. economy. “For many years, the name, ‘United States Steel’ was synonymous with Greatness, and now, it will be again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The endorsement comes after years of heated debate over the future of the iconic American steelmaker. President Joe Biden had blocked a proposed $15 billion sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel earlier this year, citing national security and supply chain concerns. “Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure,” Biden said in January.
Trump, who also opposed the outright takeover during his 2024 campaign, shifted his stance after taking office and directed the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to reevaluate the proposal. That review concluded this week.
The final deal, now structured as a partnership rather than a full acquisition, appears to have struck a balance. It preserves U.S. Steel’s domestic identity while opening the door to major foreign investment.
Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) praised the deal as a “huge victory for America,” saying it will protect and expand jobs in Pennsylvania’s Mon Valley, a historic steel-producing region. “This partnership gets it done,” McCormick said.
Trump plans to hold a May 30 rally at U.S. Steel’s headquarters in Pittsburgh to celebrate the deal and the projected economic boost.