/C O R R E C T I O N -- Companhia Siderurgica Nacional/
November 20 2006 - 11:10AM
PR Newswire (US)
In the news release, CSN Statement Regarding the
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Board of Directors Election, issued Nov. 17 by
Companhia Siderurgica Nacional over PR Newswire, we are advised by
a representative for the company that the second paragraph, third
sentence should read "In the North American market, our CSN, LLC
asset is an excellent base from which we intend to continue
building." rather than "In the North American market, our Heartland
asset is an excellent base from which we intend to continue
building." as originally issued inadvertently. Complete, corrected
release follows: SAO PAOLO, Brazil, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- Marcos Lutz, Vice President of Energy and Infrastructure for CSN
said "While CSN considers its proposal to be the best choice for
ensuring the long term success of the Wheeling Pittsburgh
shareholders, employees and community, it appears that the
shareholders have chosen that a new Board of Directors should
determine the outcome. We expect that the new Board will be
evaluating on a timely basis its obligations under the Merger
Agreement and determining its future course. "We continue to pursue
our strategy of leveraging CSN's core strengths to create growth in
key markets including North America and Europe. CSN has modern
facilities, an integrated value-added supply chain, and a profit
oriented culture that allow us to maintain impressive cash
generation throughout the business cycles. In the North American
market, our CSN, LLC asset is an excellent base from which we
intend to continue building. While we remain open to potential
continued discussions with Wheeling-Pittsburgh, we are actively
pursuing our other alternatives. No matter the outcome, we hope
Wheeling-Pittsburgh and its shareholders are able to determine the
course that positions the Company for future growth and achieves
the best value, and we wish the best to its high quality
employees." About Companhia Siderurgica Nacional CSN is a leading
global steel producer with operations in Latin America, North
America, and Europe. CSN is a fully integrated steel producer, the
largest coated steel producer in Brazil, with current capacity of
21.5 million tons of iron ore, 5.6 million tons of crude steel, 5.1
million tons of rolled products and 2.9 million tons of coated
steel capacity. CSN's process is based on the integrated steelworks
concept that uses its own sources of iron ore and electrical power
supply. In addition, CSN controls logistics assets -- ports and
railways -- that enable an extremely cost efficient and reliable
loading and unloading of slabs and ore for deep sea vessels. This
integrated steelworks concept allows CSN to be one of the most cost
competitive steel producers in the world. CSN has had operations in
the United States since 2001 through its wholly- owned subsidiary
CSN LLC (formerly known as Heartland Steel) located at Terre Haute,
Indiana. CSN LLC has an annual production capacity of 1 million
tons of cold-rolled, galvanized and hot rolled products. CSN shares
are traded on the New York (NYSE) and Sao Paulo (BOVESPA) stock
exchanges. Contact Information: Investors: Jose Marcos Treiger,
Investors Relations Manager, +55-11-3049-7511 Media (U.S.): Jeremy
Fielding or Laura Walters, Kekst and Company, +1-212-521-4800
Forward-Looking Statements Cautionary Language The information
contained in this news release and the investor presentation, other
than historical information, consists of forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act. In particular, statements
containing estimates or projections of future operating or
financial performance are not historical facts, and only represent
a belief based on various assumptions, all of which are inherently
uncertain. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of
management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
described in such statements. These risks and uncertainties
include, among others, factors relating to (1) the risk that the
businesses of CSN Holdings Corp. and Wheeling-Pittsburgh will not
be integrated successfully or such integration may be more
difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; (2) the ability
of CSN, CSN Holdings Corp. and Wheeling-Pittsburgh to realize the
expected benefits from the proposed strategic alliance, including
expected operating efficiencies, synergies, cost savings and
increased productivity, and the timing of realization of any such
expected benefits; (3) lower than expected operating results for
Wheeling-Pittsburgh for the remainder of 2006 or for the strategic
alliance; (4) the risk of unexpected consequences resulting from
the strategic alliance; (5) the risk of labor disputes, including
as a result of the proposed strategic alliance or the failure to
reach a satisfactory collective bargaining with the production
employees; (6) the ability of the strategic alliance to operate
successfully within a highly cyclical industry; (7) the extent and
timing of the entry of additional competition in the markets in
which the strategic alliance will operate; (8) the risk of
decreasing prices for the strategic alliance's products; (9) the
risk of significant supply shortages and increases in the cost of
raw materials, especially carbon slab supply, and the impact of
rising natural gas prices; (10) rising worldwide transportation
costs due to historically high and volatile oil prices; (11) the
ability of the strategic alliance to complete, and the cost and
timing of, capital improvement projects, including upgrade and
expansion of Wheeling-Pittsburgh's hot strip mill and construction
of an additional galvanizing line; (12) increased competition from
substitute materials, such as aluminum; (13) changes in
environmental and other laws and regulations to which the strategic
alliance are subject; (14) adverse changes in interest rates and
other financial market conditions; (15) failure of the convertible
financing proposed to be provided by CSN to be converted to equity;
(16) changes in United States trade policy and governmental actions
with respect to imports, particularly with respect to restrictions
or tariffs on the importation of carbons slabs; and (17) political,
legal and economic conditions and developments in the United States
and in foreign countries in which the strategic alliance will
operate. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or
results will actually occur. The statements are based on many
assumptions and factors, and any changes in such assumptions or
factors could cause actual results to differ materially from
current expectations. CSN, CSN Holdings Corp. and
Wheeling-Pittsburgh assume no duty to update forward-looking
statements. Reference is made to a more complete discussion of
forward-looking statements and applicable risks contained in CSN's
and Wheeling-Pittsburgh's filings with the SEC. DATASOURCE:
Companhia Siderurgica Nacional CONTACT: Investors: Jose Marcos
Treiger, Investors Relations Manager, CSN, +55-11-3049-7511; Media
(U.S.): Jeremy Fielding or Laura Walters, both of Kekst and
Company, +1-212-521-4800, for CSN
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