The U.S. government's ownership of a golden share in U.S. Steel will not block Nippon Steel from taking any management action that it deems appropriate, said the Japanese steelmaker's CEO.
Eiji Hashimoto was speaking at a press conference in Tokyo Thursday a day after Japan's top steelmaker closed its $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, confirming the companies agreed to give the U.S. government unusual power, helping to end Nippon Steel's 18-month struggle to reach a deal.
The national security agreement inked with the Trump administration hands the government a non-economic golden share and gives the president the authority to name a board member.
"It won't prevent us from doing what we want to do," Hashimoto said, when asked how the golden share would influence management freedom.
He said the golden share was proposed by Nippon Steel.
The ultimate deal reached with the U.S. government represents an unusual level of control conceded by the companies to save the deal, after a rocky path to approval spurred by high-level political opposition.
The golden share gives the U.S. government a veto over a potential relocation of U.S. Steel's headquarters from Pittsburgh, a transfer of jobs overseas, a name change, and any potential future acquisition of a rival business.
The agreement inked with the administration also stipulates that Nippon Steel must make capital investments of about $11 billion in the U.S. by 2028.
Hashimoto said he saw no issue with that requirement because the company intended to expand investments beyond its current plans. The Trump administration's policy shift towards imposing higher tariffs increases the strategic importance of the U.S. Steel acquisition, he said.