Takahiro Mori, Nippon Steel’s vice chairman, had told reporters in November that he believes the deal could be closed before Trump assumes the White House in January. In September, U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt had also expressed confidence, defending the planned sale as a deal that would strengthen national security, as well as economic and job security. Shares of U.S. Steel have fallen over 15% year-to-date, while Nippon Steel’s shares slipped more than 4% across the same period of time, according to data from LSEG.