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.

A planned merger of the Japanese and American giants, announced in 2023, has traveled through an election, two presidents and strong union opposition.

Nippon’s potential investments in American steel include extending the life of one facility’s coal-based furnace.