Canadian steelmaker Stelco plans to suspend some operations in Hamilton, Ontario, citing the impact of US tariffs and trade disruptions on the Canadian steel industry. The Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. unit said it expects to “indefinitely idle” its cold-rolled and coated operations at Hamilton Works in the coming weeks, according to a Sept. 28 letter to customers obtained by Bloomberg News.

The move marks the latest blow to Canada’s steel industry, which has been squeezed by US tariffs that have curtailed shipments south of the border. The Trump administration imposed tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, setting levels of 50% on imported steel back in June 2025 that remain to this day.

Stelco anticipates a wind-down of the operations at Hamilton Works starting Oct. 9. According to local newspaper the Hamilton Spectator, the firm plans to cut 350 jobs as a result. The plant is primarily a downstream finishing facility, while Stelco’s Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ontario is its integrated steelmaking operation.

“This is not a surprise considering the fact that Canada exports about 50% of its steel production, of which 95% is sent to the United States,” said Philip K. Bell, head of the Steel Manufacturers Association.