US Steel Announces Layoffs At 2 Iron Range Mines

VIRGINIA, Minn. (AP) — U.S. Steel has eliminated several nonunion management jobs at two Iron Range mines as part of cost-cutting efforts, citing "challenging market conditions."

The cuts announced Friday affect the Minntac mine in Mountain Iron and the Keetac mine in Keewatin.

About 30 positions were eliminated, according to media reports citing one unnamed manager at Keetac and a union president at Minntac, but U.S. Steel declines to give a figure.

U.S. Steel announced in mid-October it would idle one of its production lines at Minntac but said layoffs were not expected. Last week the company announced a third-quarter loss of $35 million.

The Mesabi Daily News reports it was the company's first loss since President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on imported steel last year. Steel prices have been declining in recent months.