TOKYO, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Nippon Steel ( NISTF ) plans

to sell at least 30 billion yen ($211 million) in assets in

this fiscal year to manage its debt, the Nikkei quoted its vice

chairman as saying on Friday, as it waits to know the fate of

its $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel.

Earlier this year, Nippon Steel ( NISTF ) agreed with three Japanese

megabanks for $16 billion in loans to fund the acquisition of

U.S. Steel. However, the deal is facing political opposition in

the United States amid the Nov. 5 presidential elections.

Nippon Steel ( NISTF ) plans to sell at least 30 billion yen in assets

including real estate and inventories to improve capital

efficiency amid the U.S. Steel takeover, the Japanese

steelmaker's vice chairman, Takahiro Mori, was quoted by Nikkei

newswire as saying.

Nippon Steel ( NISTF ) did not immediately reply to a Reuters request

for a comment.

The Japanese company's debt-to-equity ratio is expected to

increase to 0.9 from 0.5 as a result of the U.S. Steel deal

which both companies target to close by the end of December,

pending approvals.

This ratio may come down to 0.7 by the end of March if

certain steps are taken, Mori told Nikkei.

($1 = 142.0100 yen)

(Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Muralikumar

Anantharaman)