TOKYO Japan’s biggest steelmaker Nippon Steel, which is seeking to acquire US Steel, said on Wednesday that if its purchase goes ahead, core senior management, as well as a majority of board members at the US company would be US citizens.

The announcement follows Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris this week echoing President Joe Biden’s concern over the US$15 billion deal, saying that US Steel "should remain American-owned and American-operated".

Nippon Steel said on Wednesday that US citizens would make up the majority of the board of directors of US Steel, which will also include three independent directors who would be US citizens as well. Core senior management members would be US citizens too, the Japanese firm said.

US Steel would be owned by Nippon Steel North America, a New York-based unit of the Japanese steelmaker, which has been operating in the US for over 50 years, Nippon Steel said.

To gain support from politicians and labour unions, Nippon Steel hired former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo as an advisor and unveiled a plan last week to invest an additional US$1.3 billion in US Steel’s mills.

Nippon Steel said its vice chairman Takahiro Mori, a key negotiator on the deal, plans to visit the United States this month to continue deal-related meetings but declined to specify dates or disclose the names of those Mori is set to meet.

Both companies aim to close the deal by the end of the year, depending on regulatory approvals.

  - Reuters