cover of episode How the Election Is Sinking a $15 Billion Business Deal

How the Election Is Sinking a $15 Billion Business Deal

2024/9/12
logo of podcast The Daily

The Daily
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
A
Alan Rappeport
S
Sabrina Tavernisi
Topics
Alan Rappeport: 本期节目讨论了美国钢铁公司可能被日本制钢所收购的事件。这起事件涉及到美国历史悠久的钢铁公司、关键摇摆州宾夕法尼亚州以及美国劳工力量的政治影响。收购案面临来自工人、工会和立法者的强烈反对，拜登政府也可能介入阻止这笔交易。这起事件不仅仅关乎一家公司，更关乎美国在选举年中的政治和经济。美国钢铁公司曾是美国最大的公司，但由于技术落后、劳资纠纷和进口竞争，其规模已大幅缩小。特朗普政府时期对钢铁进口征收高额关税，对美国钢铁公司起到了一定的短期帮助作用，但并未从根本上解决问题。 此次收购案中，钢铁工人联合会强烈反对，他们担心裁员、工厂关闭和福利损失。他们对日本制钢所的承诺表示怀疑，并认为这笔交易是美国钢铁公司首席执行官为获得巨额补偿的策略。两党政客都对这笔交易表示担忧，拜登和哈里斯都公开表示支持钢铁工人，反对这笔交易。拜登政府可能会利用CFIUS（美国外国投资委员会）来阻止这笔交易，理由是国家安全担忧。美国钢铁公司则辩称这笔交易对工人和宾夕法尼亚州有利，并警告说如果交易被阻止，可能会导致工厂关闭和裁员。 这起事件反映了美国政治和经济之间的复杂关系，以及在选举年，政治因素如何影响经济决策。阻止这笔交易可能会对美国与日本的关系产生影响，并可能对未来的外国投资产生寒蝉效应。 Sabrina Tavernisi: 作为主持人，Sabrina Tavernisi 主要负责引导访谈，提出问题，并对 Alan Rappeport 的回答进行总结和补充说明，推动访谈的进行。 Donald Trump: 特朗普总统在2016年竞选期间，将矛头指向全球化政策，认为其导致美国钢铁工人失业，并承诺保护美国钢铁产业。他认为这笔交易是不可接受的，并表示如果他还在任，会立即阻止这笔交易。 David McCall: 钢铁工人联合会主席 David McCall 反对日本制钢所收购美国钢铁公司，他认为这笔交易会对工人的就业、福利和退休金造成威胁，并对日本制钢所的承诺表示怀疑。

Deep Dive

Chapters
U.S. Steel, once the largest company in the United States, has declined due to global competition and technological stagnation. Its potential acquisition by Nippon Steel has become a political flashpoint in the presidential election, with candidates vying for the support of steelworkers in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania.
  • U.S. Steel's decline began after World War II due to competition from Germany and Japan and its slow adoption of new technologies.
  • The company's workforce shrunk drastically from 170,000 in 1979 to 20,000 currently.
  • Donald Trump's focus on American workers and tariffs on steel imports brought U.S. Steel back into the political spotlight.
  • The company's potential sale to Nippon Steel has raised concerns about job security and the future of American steel production.

Shownotes Transcript

In a highly unusual move, the Biden administration signaled last week that it would block a Japanese company from buying an iconic American company in a critical swing state.

Alan Rappeport, who covers the Treasury Department for The Times, discusses the politics that could doom the multibillion-dollar deal, and what it says about the new power of American labor.

Guest: Alan Rappeport), an economic policy reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily). Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.