According to foreign media reports, on September 18th, Novelis released a statement saying that it will reduce the workforce at its Kingston aluminum plant in Ontario by about one-third (including 10 salaried employees and approximately 70 hourly workers), mainly due to the US imposing tariffs on aluminum imported from Canada.
Previously, a new round of tariffs imposed by the US on Canadian goods came into effect on September 15th, among which aluminum products faced a 50% tariff.
The Kingston aluminum plant produces special aluminum products, which are applied in the fields of ships, transportation, and industry.
This latest round of layoffs has also raised concerns about the future development of the Kingston factory. Fiona Bell, the communication director of Novelis' North American company, said that the company's long-term prospects for the factory remain unclear.
This round of layoffs is not the first time that Novelis' Kingston factory has been affected by tariffs. In June 2025, the company had laid off 21 employees due to the US raising the tariffs on aluminum and steel from 25% to 50%, accounting for approximately 7% of the total number of employees at that time. Novelis confirmed at that time that the layoffs were directly related to the 232 clause tariffs.
