A Japanese company has dropped its plan to buy US Steel, leaving the Granite City Works mill in limbo once again. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Nippon would instead invest in the American steel giant, rather than pursuing a $15 billion deal.
The nearly $15 billion deal had sparked opposition from both major political parties and union leaders on national security grounds. The local energy producer SunCoke had previously made an offer for Granite City Works’ two blast furnaces, which could have cost the region around 2,000 jobs. However, that deal has stalled since its announcement.
US Steel had already shut down a second blast furnace in fall 2023, leading to hundreds of layoffs. The fate of Metro East steel mill remains uncertain, with neither Nippon nor US Steel leadership making any comments about their intentions for the Granite City mill amid the larger purchase.
Source: https://www.stlpr.org/economy-business/2025-02-07/nippon-will-drop-bid-for-u-s-steel-leaving-granite-city-mill-in-continued-limbo