Gary Mayor Eddie Melton has been supportive of a deal between Nippon and U.S. Steel for months, citing how it would benefit Gary Works. In August, it was announced that Nippon Steel would invest $300 million into the local facility. A Nippon executive later said the company would invest $1 billion into Gary Works.

President Donald Trump approved the $14.9 billion sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese company despite promising before last year's election to block it. However, a union representing thousands of steel workers in Indiana continues to raise concerns about the deal and how it could impact workers.