Cleveland-Cliffs Cuts 500 Jobs at Ontario Steel Mills

Cleveland-Cliffs Announces Cuts at Stelco Sites

Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. revealed plans to lay off 500 workers at its Ontario operations, with reductions affecting the Stelco Hamilton Works and the Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada, according to reporting by the Toronto Star, thecanadianpressnews.ca, and BNN Bloomberg. The company announced the action on filings and in public statements covering the period around October 1–2, 2026.

The company told reporters the layoffs stem from changes in market conditions tied to U.S. steel tariffs that have made galvanized steel sales to the U.S. uneconomic, and said the cuts were necessary to ensure the business’s survival, per the cited coverage. CEO Lourenco Goncalves indicated that laid-off workers could be recalled if a trade pact ending the tariffs is reached in the near term, the outlets reported.

The federal government has warned it may pursue legal action against Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. for allegedly breaching employment commitments associated with its 2024 acquisition of Stelco; those commitments included maintaining specified levels of unionized and non-unionized employees in Canada, the reports said. The company declined to seek government financial aid, stating such aid would not resolve the underlying market problems, and urged tariff reductions to restore competitiveness, according to the same sources.

Reported Details

• Company: Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. (Stelco Hamilton Works and Lake Erie Works)
• Employees affected: 500
• Locations: Hamilton and Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada
• Reporting: Toronto Star, thecanadianpressnews.ca, BNN Bloomberg

The above details reflect the public reporting and company statements cited by the named outlets. No additional layoffs in the Materials sector were reported for October 1–2, 2026 in the supplied records.

In summary, Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. notified regulators and the public of a 500-worker reduction at its Ontario steel operations tied to tariff-driven market shifts, with potential recall contingent on resolution of trade measures, per the cited Canadian media and business press.