Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania, where the US steel giant US Steel is headquartered, said at an Internal Revenue Service event on the 30th that he has “serious concerns” about Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel. Shapiro is seen as one of the leading candidates to be chosen as a running mate by Vice President Harris, who has secured the Democratic nomination for the presidential election in November, and this could become a new obstacle to the acquisition.

According to Reuters and other news agencies, Shapiro said the government would make the final decision, but stressed that the proposed takeover was “not something I could approve. ” He did not cite any specific issues, but said, “At this point, the deal does not respect the workers at U.S. Steel who built America.”

The United Steelworkers (USW) has protested against the acquisition, with President Biden joining in. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has also made his opposition clear, making the deal a political issue. (Kyodo News)