White House: decision to block Nippon-US Steel deal was about keeping critical business in American hands

US President Biden’s decision to block the sale of US Steel was not about slighting Japan, a key Indo-Pacific ally, but about keeping steel production in the United States, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday.

“This is about US steel-making and keeping one of the largest steel producers in the United States an American-owned company,” Kirby said.