• Skip to main content

    Market Segment

    White House: Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal deserves 'serious scrutiny'

    Written by Michael Cowden


    A White House official said the planned $14.1-billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel deserved a closer look.

    President Joe Biden “believes the purchase of this iconic American-owned company by a foreign entity—even one from a close ally—appears to deserve serious scrutiny in terms of its potential impact on national security and supply chain reliability.”

    Michael Cowden

    Read more from Michael Cowden

    Latest in Market Segment

    Leibowitz: US steel prices skyrocket above world prices. Which are right?

    Steel markets in the United States now feature supply shortages. Spot tons are well-nigh unavailable, and even contract tons are scarce. Based on the available statistics, the US market for flat-rolled products is seriously constrained. The US economy is still the strongest in the world, and manufacturing output remains vigorous. But the available supply is tight. The reason is fairly obvious. US domestic supply has increased a bit. Meanwhile, imports have fallen significantly.

    US steel imports reach 15-month high in August, rise further in September

    Steel imports into the US crept higher in August and continued climbing in September, according to the Department of Commerce's latest import license data. August imports rose 3.4% from July to a 15-month high. September license data collected through Oct. 5 shows another 6.2% month-on-month increase. Imports continue to recover from some of the lowest levels since 2020, seen late last year through February this year.