Harris Opposes Sale of US Steel to Japanese Owners

At a Labor Day event in Pittsburgh on Monday, Harris said it was “vital to our nation to maintain strong American steel companies” and pledged to strengthen U.S. manufacturing.

“And I couldn’t agree more with President Biden: U.S. Steel must remain American-owned and operated, and I will always support American steelmakers and all American workers,” Harris said.

Harris has not disclosed her position on the deal. Biden has promised that U.S. Steel will remain domestically owned, though he has not sought to block the deal. Harris’ opponent, former President Donald Trump, has also called for the acquisition to be canceled.

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Since the deal was announced in December, Nippon Steel’s bid to buy the U.S. company has faced bipartisan opposition, including from the United Steelworkers union, based in Pennsylvania, a purple state. The union has said the acquisition of a U.S. steel company by a foreign company could have national security implications and has expressed concerns that the purchase could lead to layoffs or plant closures.

A president can block foreign transactions by American companies on national security grounds, but a threat would have to be established before that would be possible. It is unclear whether an acquisition by Japan, a U.S. ally, would pose a national security concern.