Steelmaker Cleveland Cliffs to idle 3 steel plants in Pennsylvania and Illinois

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs will indefinitely idle three steel plants this summer, saying Friday that it is being buffeted by sluggish demand and pricing for some products, including high carbon steel sheets.

The company said the idling of two Pennsylvania plants, one in Steelton and one in Conshohocken, and one in Riverdale, Illinois, is due to “insufficient demand and pricing” and nothing to do with President Donald Trump's tariffs.

“These temporary, indefinite idles are a necessary response to insufficient demand and pricing for the products the affected facilities produce, including rail, specialty plate, and high-carbon sheet; all of which fall outside of Cliffs’ core business focus,” the company said.

The idlings will be indefinite, and start around June 30, at the end of a 60-day notice period required by federal law. About 950 workers will be out of work during the shutdowns, Cleveland Cliffs said.

It said its flat-rolled steel production levels will not be affected.

Cleveland Cliffs in recent weeks had announced that it will idle or partially idle two iron ore mines in Minnesota, affecting 630 workers. It also said in March that it will idle a steel plant in Dearborn, Michigan, affecting about 600 workers, citing “weak automotive production in the United States."

“We believe that, once President Trump’s policies take full effect and automotive production is re-shored, we should be able to resume steel production at Dearborn,” it said.

Cleveland Cliffs did say, however, that it plans to resume operation at its blast furnace in Cleveland, which was idled last year.