"We are confident that we can close the deal by the end of this year," Nippon Steel vice chairman Takahiro Mori said during the company’s quarterly earnings announcement last week, according to the Reuters news service. 

United States Steel Corporation chief executive officer Dave Burritt echoed the comment in announcing his company's second-quarter earnings last week. 

“We continue to make progress on the U.S. regulatory processes ahead of the anticipated closing of our transaction with Nippon Steel Corporation later this year, which will bring advanced technologies to U. S. Steel to support a stronger domestic steel industry with enhanced competition and will strengthen national, economic, and job security,” he said.