Biden reiterates position on USS sale

President Biden said on Wednesday he would stand by his commitment to US workers regarding the proposed sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel.

“I stand by my commitment to American workers. I’m a man of my word and I’m going to keep it,” he said at a joint press conference in Washington with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as seen on Bloomberg Television.

“And with regard to that, I stand by our commitment to our alliance,” he added, referring to the broader US relationship with Japan.

Biden’s remarks come as it was earlier reported that the Nippon deal for the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker would not be on the agenda during the prime minister’s visit.

President Biden came out against the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel last month.

Kishida also spoke of the proposed deal when questioned by a reporter at the press conference.

“We understand that there are discussions underway between the parties. We hope that these discussions will unfold in directions that would be positive for both sides,” he said through an interpreter.

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is managing editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years, starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.