Regarding former President Trump's remark that ``I would immediately block'' Nippon Steel's plan to acquire major American steel manufacturer US Steel, Vice President Mori Takahiro said at a press conference, ``I made the statement with full understanding.'' "I doubt whether the acquisition is complete by September this year, as planned," he said.
Last December, Nippon Steel announced plans to acquire US Steel, a major American steel manufacturer, into a subsidiary between April and September.
In response, the American steel industry labor union issued a statement criticizing this, and on January 31st, former President Trump said, ``This is terrible. I would stop it immediately. Absolutely.'' The situation is such that speculation regarding the presidential election in January is intertwined with the fate of the takeover plan.
Regarding this, Nippon Steel's Vice President Takahiro Mori said at a financial results conference on the 7th, ``I am aware of former President Trump's comments, but I doubt whether he is making his comments with a full understanding of the details of the deal. If people understand that we can contribute broadly to various industries, their opinions will probably change."
He added, ``As we move past September and get closer to November, political concerns will grow, so I think it is important to find common ground with the labor union as soon as possible and put a stop to political movements.'' "We aim to complete the acquisition by September this year, as planned."