US-based mining and steel company Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. will indefinitely decommission its three steel mills in Pennsylvania and Illinois, due to a downturn in market conditions, according to media reports.
Low demand and prices in the rail, specialty plate and high-carbon sheet markets were cited as the reasons behind the closure of the Steelton and Conshohocken plants in Pennsylvania, and the Riverdale plant in Illinois. The process will begin on June 30 and will affect about 950 jobs.
The Trump administration’s recent tariff policy has nothing to do with the decision, the company says. In late March this year, the company had announced its decision to stop operations at its Dearborn plant in Michigan due to weak auto demand.