President Joe Biden's decision to reject a bid by Nippon Steel to acquire U.S. Steel isn't the first time friction over trade and investment has irked Washington's closest ally in Asia.

U.S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel sued the United States government on Monday in a last-ditch attempt to revive their attempted merger after President Biden blocked it last week on the basis that the transaction posed a threat to national security.

Separate lawsuits from Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel target President Joe Biden as well as a steelworkers union head and a rival steelmaker’s CEO.