BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to reject a bid by Nippon Steel to acquire U.S. Steel on national security grounds isn’t the first time friction over trade and investment has irked Washington’s closest ally in Asia.

The companies argued in a lawsuit announced on Monday that Biden violated the Constitution by blocking the merger via a sham national security review that deprived the companies of their right to a fair process.

Nippon Steel, whose multibillion-dollar proposal to buy struggling US Steel was blocked by President Joe Biden last week, says it is considering taking legal action against the US government.