By David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Trevor Hunnicutt and Tim Kelly TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The foreign ministers of Japan and the United States said their countries' ties were stronger than ever on Tuesday,

The companies condemned the president's decision and hinted at taking legal action, while U.S. Steel's CEO accused Biden of "political corruption."

President Joe Biden said Friday he is blocking a $14.3 billion acquisition of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel, marking a significant use of executive authority in the closing days of his administration.

The president said he was moving to protect national security in deciding the fate of the iconic Pennsylvania-based company, which became a contentious political issue in an election year.

President Joe Biden on Friday announced he has blocked the controversial $14.9 billion sale of US Steel to Japan's Nippon Steel, citing a strategic need to protect domestic industry.There was rare bipartisan agreement on the issue,

By David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Trevor Hunnicutt and Tim Kelly WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to block Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel cast a shadow over Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Japan on Tuesday for farewell meetings with Washington's most important ally in Asia.

It was meant to be a final swing through Tokyo topped with a sushi breakfast to cement closer ties with one of the US’s closest allies.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted during a visit to Tokyo on Tuesday that ties with Japan were stronger than ever, days after President Joe Biden blocked Nippon Steel's takeover of US Steel.