♪ >> MEDIA REPORTS THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS EXPECTED TOLL OPPOSE THE SALE OF THE U.S. STEEL PLANT TO JAPAN.

IF THAT HAPPENS, IT COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON MINNESOTA'S IRON RANGE.

U.S. STEEL EMPLOYS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AT ITS TACONITE MINES IN KIWI WATSON.

WITH US NOW IS JERRY BURNS.

WHAT'S AT STAKE FOR THE IRON RANGE IN THIS BATTLE OF WHO'S GOING TO OWN U.S. STEEL?

>> FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

WHAT'S AT STAKE IS, YOU KNOW, AS U.S. STEEL CEO DAVID BIRD ALLUDED TO YESTERDAY, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THEY CAN SORT TURNING DOWN BLAST FURNACES IF THEY DON'T GET THIS DEAL THROUGH AND YOU LOOK AT KEEWATIN AND MINTAC ON THE RANGE AND THEY PRODUCE 16 MILLION TONS OF IRON ORE PELLETS A YEAR THAT FEED BLAST FURNACES.

KEETAC IS SOMEWHAT SHIELDED BY THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE PELLETS THAT ARE ACTUALLY AT THE CENTER OF WHAT NIPON STEEL WOULD WANT TO PURCHASE.

BUT WITH THE -- WITH THE IRON ORE THAT FEEDS THE BLAST FURNACES, THERE'S CERTAINLY A PALLET THAT AS THE FURNACES SHUT DOWN, WE COULD SEE SOME DECREASED PRODUCTION OUT OF THESE MINES, POSSIBLE IDLES.

>> Eric: AND JOB LOSS?

>> POTENTIALLY, YES.

>> Cathy: SAY, JERRY, I'M WONDERING, IS THIS LIKE A BUSINESS DECISION CAUGHT BETWEEN A POLITICAL DECISION, RIGHT?

I MEAN, THERE SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE THE BUSINESS PART OF IT AND THEN THE POLITICS.

>> YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO TELL WHAT -- WHAT U.S. STEEL IS TRYING TO GET AT WITH WHAT CEO BIRD SAID YESTERDAY BECAUSE, CERTAINLY, THE POLITICS ARE DRIVING THE -- EVERYONE NOT BACKING THIS NIPON DEAL AND THERE'S NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS WITH IT, CERTAINLY, BUT IF THIS WAS NOT AN ELECTION YEAR, I THINK WE WOULD BE HAVING A MUCH DIFFERENT DISCUSSION ON THIS DEAL.

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF IT, IT'S HARD TO TELL WHAT THEY -- WHAT U.S. STEEL REALLY WANTS TO DO WITH WHAT THEY SAID YESTERDAY.

>> Eric: CLEVELAND CLIFFS IS STANDING BY READY TO SWOOP IN, I GUESS, HUH?

THAT'S ANOTHER -- >> WELL, ALWAYS READY.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THEIR ROLE IN THIS, IF ANY?

>> WE DON'T KNOW YET BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF THIS GETS BLOCKED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND THIS DEAL FALLS THROUGH, IT DOESN'T GUARANTEE CLEVELAND GETS ANYTHING.

THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH A SALE PROCESS, STILL HAVE TO BE ACCEPTED.

THE UNITED STEELWORKERS HAVE SAID THE PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO THAT NIPON, THEY DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO AN INDEPENDENT U.S. STEEL, THEY WANT CLIFFS BUT ULTIMATELY THAT REALLY DOESN'T GUARANTEE CLIFFS ANYTHING SO THEY'RE SITTING IN THE WAIT BUT THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE THE REST OF US, THEY HAVE TO LET THIS PLAY UT.

>> Cathy: SAY, WHAT DO HE UNION FOLKS THINK BILL CLIFFS VERSUS NIPON?

>> AS THEY LIKE TO SAY, WE'VE BEEN MINING FOR 130 YEARS AND THEY COULD PROBABLY ADD ON TO THAT THAT FOR 130 YEARS THEY'VE BEEN FIGHTING WITH U.S. STEEL OR OTHER COMPANIES AND THAT'S REALLY KENNELED TO U.S. STEEL WHERE IT'S BEEN THIS CONTENTIOUS RELATIONSHIP, WHETHER IT BE HOW U.S. STEEL SHIFTED MONEY FROM MONN VALLEY IN PITTSBURGH TO PURCHASE BIG RIVER STEEL AND THE ELECTRIC ARC FURNACES THERE, AND IT'S BEEN INTERESTING BECAUSE CLIFFS HAS REALLY GENERATED A GREAT RICH WITH THE UNION.

LORENZO GONZALEZ, THEIR CEO, HAS DONE A LOT OF ON-THE-GROUND WORK, BEING HERE ON THE RANGE AND WORKING WITH THE UNION AND WHEN THE CONTRACT ARE UP TO SET THE STANDARD FOR THE OTHERS.

SO THEY'RE READY TO BACK CLIFFS.

BEYOND THAT, WE'RE NOT SURE.

>> Eric: GIVE US YOUR WEBSITE SO PEOPLE CAN GET INVOLVED IN LEARNING ABOUT THIS AND OTHER IRON RANGE ISSUES.

WHAT'S THE WEBSITE?

>> YEAH, SO IT'S IRONRANGE TODAY .COM ND WE'VE ON Facebook, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, ALL THAT.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

>> Eric: GOOD LUCK WITH THE ENTERPRISE.

GOOD TO