Gary Mayor Eddie Melton has been supportive of a deal between Nippon and U.S. Steel for months, citing how it would benefit Gary Works. In August, it was announced that Nippon Steel would invest $300 million into the local facility. A Nippon executive later said the company would invest $1 billion into Gary Works.

In a surprising move, former President Donald Trump announced a partnership between United States Steel Corp and Japan's Nippon Steel Corp. This collaboration aims to keep the iconic US Steel in America,