US Steel to idle operations in River Rouge, Ecorse in 2020

(FOX 2) - U.S. Steel Corp. says it will indefinitely idle major operations at factories in metro Detroit.

The company said it would send layoff notices to 1,545 employees at Great Lakes Works, although it anticipates that the actual number of people affected will be lower.

More than 1,500 U.S. Steel employees will get notice of idling operations

U.S. Steel intends to indefinitely idle a significant portion of its Great Lakes Works operation near Detroit, Mich.

Great Lakes Works, which serves the auto industry, is along the Detroit River in River Rouge and Ecorse.

U.S. Steel said it expects to begin idling the iron and steel-making facilities around April 1 and the hot strip mill rolling facility before the end of 2020.

U.S. Steel attributes all of this to a decrease in domestic demand for steel and a steel tariff that was recently put in place.

In the coming weeks and months, U.S. Steel says they plan to work with the employees who are impacted by the layoffs.