Three iron ore pellet furnaces in Minnesota are being idled.
CLEVELAND, OHIO -- Cliffs Natural Resources announced Tuesday that it's idling two small pellet furnaces at Northshore Mining and one small pellet furnace at United Taconite. Both mines are in Minnesota.
Cliffs said the curtailments were designed to bring production levels in line with demand.
"We have seen the steel market soften in recent weeks due to the slowdown in the North American economy," explained Donald Gallagher, the president of Cliffs' North American Business Unit.
The idling of the furnaces is beginning immediately and will also result in what Cliffs is calling "workforce adjustments."
Tuesday's announcement makes no mention of the two Cliffs mines in Marquette County.
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