AK Steel will add a $205 per ton surcharge for flat-rolled carbon steel products shipped in January 2005, an increase of $52 from December's surcharge of $153 per ton. A $400 per ton surcharge will be added to electrical steel products shipped in January 2005, up $140 from the December surcharge of $260 per ton for those products. January surcharges for AK Steel’s stainless steel products are available on the company's website.

AK Steel notes that the surcharges are based on reported prices for raw materials and energy used to manufacture the products, with the November 2004 purchase cost used to determine the January 2005 surcharges.

As previously announced, AK Steel has modified its surcharge calculation for carbon steels to include purchased coke, iron ore pellets and hot briquetted iron, in addition to natural gas, carbon scrap, purchased slabs and coal. Surcharge modifications will take effect with shipments on and after January 1, 2005.

Headquartered in Middletown, Ohio, AK Steel produces flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, as well as carbon and stainless tubular steel products, for automotive, appliance, construction and manufacturing markets.