Cleveland-Cliffs asserts compliance with Canadian investment commitments and seeks meeting with Industry Minister

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. said it has fulfilled the conditions of its Investment Canada Act undertakings related to the 2024 acquisition of Stelco and has written to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly requesting a meeting to explore how the company could restore the 175 workers temporarily laid off at Stelco’s Hamilton plant.

The Ohio-based steelmaker said an internal review confirmed that, for the current reporting period, Stelco’s average unionized workforce will be at least 1,879 employees, exceeding the required minimum of 1,766, and that salaried staff will average at least 627, above the 603-person threshold.

Stelco announced on Sept. 28 that up to 500 workers would be laid off at its Hamilton and Nanticoke facilities, prompting the federal government to claim the layoffs breach the commitment to maintain Canadian unionized employment levels for five years.

Minister Joly has previously warned that failure to meet the commitments could lead to legal action or a forced divestiture of Stelco. In a recent letter, she also noted that CEO Lourenço Gonçalves’ public support for President Donald Trump’s steel tariffs appeared to conflict with a promise to advocate policies benefiting both U.S. and Canadian steel sectors.

Gonçalves reiterated the company’s support for the U.S. Section 232 tariff policy, stating, "> We remain strong advocates for the U.S. Section 232 policy, and believe a Fortress North America solution would be in the best interest of the United States and Canada."

Cleveland-Cliffs said it has reached out to the minister to schedule the meeting and discuss a path toward resuming full employment for the temporarily laid-off workers.