U.S. Steel Shareholders Approve Sale to Japan's Nippon Steel

TikTok vs U.S. Steel Sale

• Several commenters contrast Congress’s aggressive stance on TikTok with relative quiet over Nippon Steel buying U.S. Steel.
• Many argue the difference is simple: China is seen as an adversary, Japan as a close ally; if TikTok were UK-owned, there likely wouldn’t be hearings.
• Some see this as straightforward realpolitik; others accuse critics of “both-sides” cynicism that ignores meaningful differences between regimes.

Allies, Adversaries, and Geopolitics

• Long subthread debates why Saudi Arabia and Turkey are treated as “allies” while Russia/China are treated as enemies.
• One side: distinctions hinge on invasions/annexations (e.g., Ukraine, threats to Taiwan), authoritarianism, and expansionism.
• The other side: all major powers commit abuses and run self-serving propaganda; moral narratives often mask power politics.
• Some recall that China was a WWII “ally” and that alliances are historically contingent.

National Security & Foreign Ownership

• Concern: critical industrial capacity should remain domestically owned, even if the buyer is from an allied country.
• Counterpoints: factories are on U.S. soil and can be nationalized in war; steel output and military production are largely visible via public data and satellites anyway.
• Some argue TikTok is uniquely dangerous because it can shape the information environment in real time; a steel mill cannot.

U.S. Steel’s Actual Importance

• Multiple commenters stress U.S. Steel is no longer dominant: it produces about 12% of U.S. steel, with Nucor cited as the leading and more innovative domestic producer.
• Linked blog post and podcast describe U.S. Steel as historically powerful but increasingly outdated and uninnovative.

Antitrust, Oligopoly, and Rival Bids

• Skepticism that blocking the Japanese deal in favor of a domestic bidder (Cleveland-Cliffs) would help competition, since that bidder has already absorbed other U.S. mills.
• Broader worry about entrenched oligopolies, courts being slow or conservative on antitrust, and whether stronger breakup powers or targeted taxes on very large firms are needed.

Steel Industry Technology & Capital Intensity

• Industry insider notes Japan/Korea/Taiwan as current technology leaders; Europe is pushing green/hydrogen steel.
• Expectation that blast furnaces will begin to be displaced in the 2030s, with high capital risk around picking the “wrong” new process.
• Steel is grouped with chips, oil, and other heavy industries as highly capital-intensive, needing high utilization and tending toward thin margins and consolidation.