Former President Biden’s decision to block Nippon Steel’s proposed acquisition of US Steel was criticized as a bid for union support in an election year. However, the committee charged with reviewing the transaction did identify national security concerns, rooted not in Nippon Steel’s Japanese identity but in factors unique to the global steel market and Nippon Steel. This shows that the decision does not indicate a lack of US government trust in Japan as a national security partner and should not impair the larger US-Japan diplomatic, economic, and security relationship, argues of counsel Christian Contardo in an article for the U.S.-Asia Law Institute.