Cliffs, US Discussed a Clear Path Past Antitrust on US Steel

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Chief Executive Officer Lourenco Goncalves said he talked to the US government about ways to avoid antitrust issues when preparing a bid to buy United States Steel Corp.

“I discussed with the US government prior to making the offer, to make sure that I had a path to clear antitrust,” Goncalves said Monday in an interview on Bloomberg Television. “US Steel decided not to listen and go with Nippon Steel.”

Read More: Nippon Sweetened Offer in Final Hours Clinched US Steel Deal

Lawyers advised US Steel’s board last year that even if Cliffs offered divestitures in a successful ...