Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Directly Tells Biden to ‘Dispel Concerns’ over U.S. Steel Acquisition Ban

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:00 JST, January 13, 2025

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba directly expressed his concerns to U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday about Biden blocking Nippon Steel’s planned acquisition of U.S. Steel. The exchange happened during an online video conference that included Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier on the day.

“I said there were strong concerns not only in Japan but also in the U.S. business community, and I strongly urged him to dispel the concerns,” Ishiba told reporters at the Prime Minister’s official residence after the conference.

During the talk, the three leaders agreed to keep promoting cooperation among Japan, the United States and the Philippines in maritime and economic security.

The trilateral summit meeting is a new framework initiated by the Biden administration, and Monday’s conference aimed to reconfirm the importance of multilateral cooperation before the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.