Photo/Illutration Tadashi Imai, the new president and COO of Nippon Steel Corp., at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward (Ken Miyazaki)

The new Nippon Steel Corp. president said his company’s proposed takeover of U.S. Steel Corp. would be the most beneficial deal for its American workers, despite opposition from their union and U.S. President Joe Biden.

“I am convinced that Nippon Steel is the company that can assist U.S. Steel the most in terms of growing in the United States,” Tadashi Imai, who assumed the president’s post on April 1, said in an interview with The Asahi Shimbun and other media.

Imai said Nippon Steel will proceed with the takeover bid while seeking understanding from U.S. officials and workers.

“Even today, we still have nearly 4,000 employees working for our subsidiaries in the United States,” Imai said. “We have a history of rebuilding U.S. companies that had gone bankrupt and have deep roots in American society as a steelmaker.”

U.S. Steel, an iconic manufacturer, is more than 120 years old, but it has struggled for decades amid intensifying competition from foreign rivals.

Nippon Steel, Japan’s largest steel producer, announced its plan to acquire the U.S. company for $14.1 billion (2 trillion yen) in December.

The powerful United Steelworkers Union immediately voiced its opposition, citing potential damage to U.S. workers and possible threats to national security.

Biden and former President Donald Trump, the expected Republican challenger in the U.S. presidential race in November, are both against the deal.

Many USW members reside in crucial swing states, including Pennsylvania, where U.S. Steel’s headquarters is located.

Biden and Trump cannot afford to ignore the USW’s objection because even a slight difference in votes could change the outcome of the election.

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