President Joe Biden’s decision to block Nippon Steel’s proposed $15 billion purchase of U.S. Steel could have a positive impact on Gary, Indiana, and other steel-producing regions in the U.S. Biden emphasized the importance of keeping American steel companies under domestic ownership to safeguard jobs, union agreements, and national security.

Gary, home to U.S. Steel’s largest steel mill, relies heavily on the company as a cornerstone of its economy.

The decision ensures the mill remains part of an American-owned enterprise, protecting local employment and bolstering the steel industry’s role in national infrastructure projects. By prioritizing U.S. Steel’s domestic operations, the administration reinforces its commitment to American workers and manufacturing, which directly benefits communities like Gary.

“It is important that we maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers,” Biden said in a March statement, while he was still seeking reelection to the presidency before dropping out of the race. “U.S. Steel has been an iconic American steel company for more than a century, and it is vital for it to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated.”

President-elect Donald Trump has also opposed the acquisition and vowed in December on his Truth Social platform to block the deal and to use tax incentives and tariffs to grow the company. Steelworkers’ union President David McCall said last month that the union welcomed Trump’s opposition to the sale and said “it’s time for this deal to be rejected so we can all focus on the future.”