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Tokyo silent on Nippon-US Steel deal to avoid meddling

  • Market: Metals
  • 13/09/24

The Japanese government is withholding any comment on the politically fraught acquisition of US Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel because it will create meddling, the country's trade and industry (Meti) minister said.

Since Nippon Steel announced its $15bn deal to acquire US Steel in December 2023, Tokyo has remained silent despite it evoking bitter political and industrial debate. This is because any governmental comment will cause "interference in the internal affairs", Meti minister Ken Saito said on 13 September.

The acquisition is facing stiff resistance from US vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris who said on 2 September in Pittsburgh that "US Steel should remain US-owned and US-operated".Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump criticised the deal in February, vowing to block the sale. Criticism from both candidates is seen as an attempt to gain the support of US labour unions for their presidential election ambitions.

The deal is currently under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), with US President Biden possibly considering vetoing the deal.

The Japanese business federation Keidanren responded with an open letter to US treasury secretary Janet Yellen, who chairs the CFIUS, expressing concern about "political pressure being brought to bear" on the committee.

"We fear that the CFIUS process is being used to further political agendas that are outside the committee's purview and putting the US economy and workers at risk", the letter said. "It is critical that CFIUS remain solely focused on defending US national security while championing economic openness. That was the standard set when Congress codified CFIUS in the 1980s".

Meti minister Saito did not make any further direct comment on the deal, only to reiterate that each and every transaction by US and Japanese companies are the building blocks for astrong and resilient bilateral economy.


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13/11/24

Cop: Argentina pulls delegation from Baku

Cop: Argentina pulls delegation from Baku

Montevideo, 13 November (Argus) — Argentina's government today withdrew its delegation from the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. The country's foreign affairs ministry confirmed to Argus that the delegation had been told to leave the event, which began on 11 November and will run through 22 November. No reason was given for the decision, but it fits the general policies of President Javier Milei, who has expressed skepticism about climate change. Milei eliminated the country's environment ministry shortly after taking office in December 2023. He is also pursuing investment to monetize oil and gas reserves, with a focus on the Vaca Muerta unconventional formation. Vaca Muerta has an estimated 308 trillion cf of natural gas and 16bn bl of oil, according to the US Energy Information Administration. In October, the government created the Argentina LNG division with a plan to involve private companies and the state-owned YPF to produce and export up to 30mn metric tonnes (t)/yr of LNG by 2030. It wants to export 1mn bl of crude. The plans are closely linked to a new investment framework, known as RIGI, that will provide incentives for large-scale investments. The administration is also pushing hard for investment in critical minerals, including copper and lithium. Argentina has the world's second-largest lithium resources, estimated at 22mn t by the US Geological Survey. It has copper potential that the RIGI would help tap. The government has not specified if pulling out of Cop 29 means Argentina will withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which Argentina ratified in 2016. The country's nationally determined contribution calls for net emissions not to exceed 359mn t of CO2 by 2030. This represents a 21pc reduction of emissions from the maximum reached in 2007. By Lucien Chauvin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Cop: Guterres warns of exploitation in minerals race


13/11/24
News
13/11/24

Cop: Guterres warns of exploitation in minerals race

London, 13 November (Argus) — Demand for critical minerals vital to the electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors should be met without causing a "stampede of greed" that exploits local communities and harms those living in poverty, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has said. "We are here to respond to a key challenge — turning the energy transition towards justice," Guterres told the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. Guterres warned that as the energy transition accelerates, it could present more risks than opportunities for many developing countries rich in metals such as copper or lithium unless managed with justice and equity. "For developing countries rich in resources, [the energy transition] is a huge opportunity to generate prosperity, eliminate poverty and drive sustainable development. But too often this is not the case," he said. "Too often we see the mistakes of the past repeated in a stampede of greed that crushes the poor," Guterres added. "We see developing countries ground down to the bottom of value chains, as others grow wealthy on their resources." In response to concerns in developing countries rich in battery minerals, the UN in April established the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. The panel of governments, international organisations, industry and civil society developed "voluntary principles" for managing value chains for critical energy transition minerals. The panel's report outlines seven voluntary guiding principles covering environmental and human rights, responsible investment and finance, transparency and anti-corruption measures, and international co-operation. It also identifies five "actionable recommendations", including establishing an advisory group to accelerate benefit-sharing and economic diversification, developing a mineral traceability framework and creating a fund to address mine closures and other mining legacies. The UN code has no enforcement mechanisms, and so implementation depends on the participation of industry, governments and civil society. By Cristina Belda Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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US inflation rises in October to 2.6pc


13/11/24
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13/11/24

US inflation rises in October to 2.6pc

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Five factors to watch for in the tungsten market


13/11/24
News
13/11/24

Five factors to watch for in the tungsten market

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CNGR’s NNI produces high-grade Ni matte in Indonesia


13/11/24
News
13/11/24

CNGR’s NNI produces high-grade Ni matte in Indonesia

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