Photo/Illutration The Nippon Steel Corp. logo (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The United Steelworkers (USW) labor union heightened its attack against Nippon Steel Corp. while the Japanese company emphasized the “truth” about its takeover bid of U.S. Steel Corp.

The two sides have not relented ahead of a decision expected in late December from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) on the planned buyout.

The CFIUS is looking into the effects on national security of such a takeover, and it had pushed the deadline for a decision to late December to prevent the issue from being affected by the U.S. presidential race.

At a Nov. 7 news conference, Takahiro Mori, Nippon Steel vice chairman, expressed confidence his company would obtain the go-ahead before Donald Trump becomes president in January.

During the presidential campaign, Trump had pledged to stop the Nippon Steel buyout.

The USW fired back a week later.

On Nov. 14, a statement released under the name of David McCall, USW president, insisted that a Nippon Steel takeover would hurt U.S. national security. It said Nippon Steel would send half-finished products from Japan to U.S. Steel for completion, which would prove detrimental to the U.S. company’s jobs and production.

The USW statement said the committee and the U.S. president should both decide to reject the Nippon Steel proposal.

Nippon Steel asked for a second review after the CFIUS sent a letter saying there were national security concerns about the planned buyout.

On Nov. 18, Nippon Steel sent out a letter under Mori’s name to USW members, saying false information was being circulated. The letter said no half-finished products would be shipped from abroad to U.S. Steel.

The letter also pledged to protect the jobs, benefits and pensions of U.S. Steel workers and contribute to U.S. national security.

In addition, the letter said Mori had arrived in the United States and was arranging a meeting with McCall.

But Nippon Steel had received no response from McCall’s side as of the evening of Nov. 19, Japan time.

Obtaining the understanding of the USW would not directly affect the decisions to be made by the CFIUS or the U.S. Justice Department, which is looking into any possible anti-trust violations from the buyout.

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