On June 18, 2025, Nippon Steel finally acquired U.S. Steel after approximately one and a half years of twists and turns that unexpectedly put U.S.-Japan relations in the spotlight. Initially, union opposition led President Biden to block the deal, citing national security reasons. After President Trump opened a new review of the deal, the value of the investment in U.S. Steel swelled from the initial 1.4 billion dollars to 14 billion dollars, raising questions about Nippon Steel’s future execution capabilities.

Washington CORE spoke with Bruce Aronson, Adjunct Professor and Senior Advisor at the Japan Center of the U.S.-Asia Law Institute at the New York University School of Law, who has been following this acquisition case from both Japanese and U.S. perspectives, to hear his outlook on the future implications of this acquisition.

Prof. Aronson shared his thoughts on:

• Nippon Steel’s bold move at a critical stage of the negotiations that may have sealed the deal
• The many challenges ahead for the post-merger integration (PMI) of Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel
• The deal’s implications for future international investments in the U.S.
• The need for comprehensive and fundamental reforms to attract similar foreign direct investment in Japan

Read the full piece here to learn more about this historic acquisition case!