Published: September 4, 2025 |

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Nippon Steel said on Wednesday it has resolved all legal disputes with the United Steelworkers union and steelmaker Cleveland-Cliff tied to its $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, which closed in June.

The settlement includes the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by Nippon Steel, its North America unit, and U.S. Steel against USW President David McCall, as well as the withdrawal of an unfair labor practice charge the union had filed against U.S. Steel with the National Labor Relations Board.

The companies also dropped claims involving Cleveland-Cliffs and its CEO Lourenco Goncalves, who had opposed the deal.

Nippon and U.S. Steel had accused Cleveland-Cliffs, its CEO Lourenco Goncalves, and United Steelworkers President David McCall of trying to block the deal.

The union had also filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging U.S. Steel intimidated workers and sought to suppress opposition to the sale.

The buyout, announced in late 2023 and completed on June 18, 2025, faced months of political scrutiny and union resistance over foreign ownership of a storied American steelmaker.

Nippon said no financial compensation was exchanged as part of these settlements. The parties added they remain focused on steelmaking operations and collective bargaining.

Source: Reuters

Nippon Steel Corporation is Japan’s largest steelmaker and one of the world’s leading steel manufacturers. NSC has a global crude steel production capacity of approximately 66 million tonnes and employs approximately 100,000 people in the world. NSC’s manufacturing base is in Japan and the company has presence in 15 additional countries including: United States, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, Sweden, China, and others. NSC established a joint venture in the United States around 40 years ago and has focused on building cooperative and good relationships with employees, labor unions, suppliers, customers, and communities. As the ‘Best Steelmaker with World-Leading Capabilities,’ NSC pursues world-leading technologies and manufacturing capabilities and contributes to society by providing excellent products and services.

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