US-based mining company Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has announced that it will indefinitely idle its tinplate production plant located in Weirton in April 2024 as a result of the unanimous decision of the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to negate antidumping and countervailing duties on tin mill products.
The company stated that it is struggling to maintain tinplate production at the Weirton plant amid the unfair competition conditions in the market. The employees at the plant will be provided relocation opportunities to work at other Cleveland-Cliffs facilities and/or severance packages.
In January last year, Cleveland-Cliffs and co-petitioners the United Steelworkers filed antidumping and countervailing duty petitions related to tin mill products imports, and in January this year the US Department of Commerce announced duties on Canada, China, Germany and South Korea. However, the ITC rejected 2.69-6.88 percent antidumping duties on the given products from South Korea, Germany and Canada, and the 122.5 percent countervailing duty on tin mill products from China, as SteelOrbis previously reported.
In addition, Cleveland-Cliffs stated that it is maintaining its 2024 sales volume guidance of 16.5 million tons of overall steel products.