Canada’s Stelco to recall 175 laid-off workers, restart Hamilton plant finishing lines

Canadian steel producer Stelco announced on Friday that it will recall 175 employees who were briefly laid off at its Hamilton, Ontario facility, with the company set to resume finishing operations on December 1. The decision comes after the company secured agreements with a sufficient number of customers to continue production.

Canada's steel sector, one of the hardest-hit by US President Donald Trump's import tariffs, is experiencing a modest recovery driven by mining, energy, and AI data center projects, as well as government assistance. However, the recovery has been uneven across the industry. Earlier this year, Cleveland-Cliffs, a US-based steelmaker, announced plans to idle some production at its Hamilton plant and lay off hundreds of workers due to the impact of US tariffs.

Stelco, which was acquired by Cleveland-Cliffs in 2024, manufactures flat-rolled steel, including coated, cold-rolled, and hot-rolled products, as well as pig iron and metallurgical coke. The company's response to Trump's tariffs has garnered international attention, with Prime Minister Mark Carney among the few world leaders to criticize the US for the economic repercussions.

All affected workers will also receive retroactive payment for the wages they missed during the temporary layoff.