Trump wants to double tariffs on steel and aluminum

The contract with the Japanese steel company has not yet been finalized, Trump later said upon his return to Washington. "I still have to approve the final deal with Nippon, and we haven't seen the final deal yet, but they've made a very significant commitment," he told reporters.

Following Trump's speech at the steel mill, the USW steel union criticized its lack of involvement in the negotiations with Nippon Steel. USW President David McCall stated on Friday that he did not know the details of this "planned partnership" and that "the devil is always in the details." The union pointed out on Wednesday that there was nothing to indicate that Nippon would deviate from its previous position. The Japanese company had always insisted that it would only invest in US Steel if it could acquire the company.