TOKYO, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Japan's biggest steelmaker

Nippon Steel ( NISTF ) on Thursday beat first-quarter profit

estimates, and raised its full-year profit forecast on

expectations of improving steel business.

Nippon Steel's ( NISTF ) first-quarter net profit fell 11% from a year

earlier to 157.6 billion yen ($1 billion), but came in well

ahead of analysts' expectation of 108.7 billion yen as per LSEG

data.

The world's fourth-biggest steelmaker raised its net profit

forecast for the fiscal year ending in March 2025 to 340 billion

yen from 300 billion yen, saying it expects steel business to

improve going forward.

Nippon Steel ( NISTF ) said on Thursday it received a second request

for information and data from the U.S. Department of Justice as

part of the U.S. government's review of its deal to buy U.S.

Steel, but it still plans to close transaction by

year-end.

As a part of its bid, which has faced resistance from both

Democrats and Republicans, Nippon Steel ( NISTF ) said it has committed no

job cuts, job or production transfer overseas or plant closures

even after the current agreement between United Steelworkers

union and U.S. Steel expires in September 2026.

($1 = 149.6100 yen)

(Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Himani Sarkar and

Varun H K)