Gary mayor supports Nippon Steel’s proposed investment into US Steel after acquisition blocked​on February 8, 2025 at 10:02 am

GARY, Ind. (WLS) — President Donald Trump says Japan’s Nippon Steel will invest new technology in U.S. Steel, but not buy it outright.

The Biden administration blocked a multi-billion dollar steel deal with the Japanese company last month. In that deal, Nippon would have gotten U.S. Steel for nearly $15 billion. It also would have included the facility in Gary, Indiana.

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Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said he’s happy the chances for some sort of investment is still alive.

“One of the most important aspects of this deal, for me, was it was no layoffs, no plant closures,” Melton said.

While details on the investment have yet to be ironed out, Gary’s mayor told ABC7 optimistic that, for his city, it could be well over the dollar amount than initially planned.

Melton, speaking with ABC7 fresh off the phone with Nippon Steel, is excited for what, he says, could be a huge impact on U.S. Steel’s Gary plant, the city’s largest employer of more than 4,800 workers.

“We want what’s best for the City of Gary that’s going to increase our tax base, that’s going to strengthen our economy,” Melton said. “This is the deal to make, right here. President Trump once had business in the City of Gary with his casinos years ago, so he understands our plight.”

At the White House Friday, President Trump stood alongside Japan’s new prime minister, saying the pair agreed Japan’s Nippon Steel will invest new technology in U.S. Steel, instead of buying it.

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“We’ll be looking at an investment rather than a purchase,” Trump said. “I like the idea. U.S. Steel is a very important company to us.”

It came after the Biden administration blocked a Japanese takeover worth more than $14 billion last month, which Mayor Melton said promised to bring $1 billion dollars of investment to Gary.

“I’m hearing investing even more than what was promised before,” Melton said. “So, this is all in discussions, I believe, that they will be having at the White House.”

It’s unclear what the exact details of the investment would be, but President Trump said he would meet with the head of Nippon Steel next week and he would be involved “to mediate and arbitrate.”