Joly Reminds Cleveland-Cliffs That God Did Not Sign the Tariff Petition
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has warned Cleveland-Cliffs that it cannot cheer on American steel tariffs and then file the resulting Stelco job cuts under "act of God." Her position is that the Almighty has never lobbied Congress and keeps no office in Washington.
The phrase comes from contract law, where "force majeure" covers events nobody could have seen coming: floods, earthquakes, a sudden plague of locusts in a blast furnace. Legal scholars note that a tariff announced in advance, praised in press releases, and endorsed by your own CEO is about as foreseeable as events get. It shows up on a calendar.
Hamilton steelworkers were not impressed by the theology either. "If God wanted the plant downsized, He'd have sent a sign," said one. "Not a quarterly earnings call."
Cleveland-Cliffs bought Stelco in 2024, which means it now owns Canadian mills while backing the policy that makes Canadian steel harder to sell. Analysts describe this as a bold strategy. Most people describe it as putting your foot on the gas and the brake and then blaming the weather for the smoke.
Joly says Ottawa will hold the company to its commitments, and federal officials are reviewing the original takeover conditions in detail.
The review is expected to take some time. When asked why, a senior official explained that delays in federal file processing are, regrettably, a well-documented act of God.