Nippon Steel, peers urge Tokyo to curb steel imports from China, executive says

TOKYO: Nippon Steel and other Japanese steelmakers are urging Tokyo to consider curbing cheap steel imports from China, the world’s biggest steel producer, to protect the Japanese market, Nippon Steel Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori said in an interview.
As Nippon Steel tries to close its acquisition of US Steel, key to its global expansion, Mori, who is the lead negotiator for the deal, also said he gained support of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for the takeover when they met in June, though he has not commented on the deal since becoming the Democratic vice presidential candidate.
China’s steel exports rose 24 per cent to 53.4 million tons in the first half of 2024, on track for 100 million tons for the year. Imports of ordinary steel by Japan, the world’s No 3 producer, surged by 17 per cent to 1.32 million metric tons in April-June, with imports from China jumping 43 per cent, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation data shows.
“China’s exports could rise further as local demand drops by about 30 million tons annually,” Mori said, predicting Chinese demand to remain weak this year. “We are lobbying the government to consider measures including anti-dumping duties.”
The United States, Europe and South Korea, among others, have implemented trade policies to restrict Chinese steel imports, Mori said.
“Only Japan is exposed. We are in a very dangerous situation … If we don’t protect it, the Japanese market will go wrong,” he said.
Any action to curb imports would be unusual for Japan, which is more often the target of anti-dumping actions by other countries when it comes to steel.
The world’s fourth-biggest steelmaker is eager to close the US$14.9 billion acquisition of US Steel by the end of 2024 which should add ¥30 billion-¥40 billion (US$208 million-US$277 million) to Nippon Steel’s profit in January-March quarter, Mori said.
Nippon Steel’s net profit forecast of 340 billion yen for the current fiscal year does not include the acquisition, which faces opposition from some Democrats and Republicans including presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Mori, who visited the US five times this year to talk to various stakeholders, met Walz at a US Steel’s plant opening ceremony in Minnesota in June, before Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate.
“Walz welcomed investment in Minnesota and showed a very strong interest in US-Japan relations,” Mori said, adding Walz expressed his support to the acquisition deal at the time.
Mori plans another US trip next month to continue the dialogue with stakeholders.
To gain support from politicians and labour unions, Nippon Steel hired former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as an advisor and unveiled this week a plan to invest an additional US$1.3 billion in US Steel’s mills.
Last week, Nippon Steel agreed with Whitehaven Coal to buy a 20 per cent stake in the Blackwater coking coal mine in Australia for US$720 million, boosting its self-sufficiency ratio of the key steel-making ingredient to 35 per cent. Nippon Steel targets a ratio above 40 per cent to offset the impact of raw material prices.
“We’ll consider buying more interests in coking coal mines if a good deal emerges,” Mori said.
He declined to comment on whether the company would bid for Anglo American’s coking coal assets.