08:54 AM EDT, 04/03/2024 (MT Newswires) -- United States Steel's ( X ) acquisition by Nippon Steel is facing continued opposition from US Senator Sherrod Brown, who urged President Biden to investigate the Japanese company's ties to China in an April 1 letter.

The Ohio Democrat has previously criticized Nippon for its labor and trade policies. But in his latest missive, he cites a report by Horizon Advisory that alleges Nippon has deep ties to the "Chinese steel ecosystem," which he describes as intertwined with the military.

Brown suggested that Nippon has been involved in industrial operations linked to the repression of China's Uighur minority. "Potential violations of the Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act must be considered in the case of this merger," he said.

Nippon did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' request for comment. In a statement published by Reuters, Nippon disputed the Horizon report, saying China only accounted for 5% of its global business.

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