AK Steel has entered into an agency agreement with Tube City, LLC for the purchase of ferrous scrap for all of AK Steel's steelmaking facilities.

As part of the new agreement, Tube City will be responsible for negotiating the majority of carbon scrap and pig iron purchases for AK Steel plants in Ashland, Ky.; Butler, Pa.; and Mansfield and Middletown, Ohio. Additionally, Tube City will be responsible for scheduling, logistics and quality assurance related to ferrous scrap for the AK Steel plants.

"This agreement with Tube City continues AK Steel's efforts to develop long-term agreements with suppliers of key raw materials," said James L. Wainscott, President and CEO of AK Steel. "We look forward to working with Tube City as a strategic partner to help us improve costs, quality and reliability as related to our scrap requirements."

Tube City is a long-time supplier of scrap and related services to AK Steel. In November 2004, AK Steel presented one of its first annual Supplier of the Year awards to Tube City for outstanding service, value and strategic support of AK Steel's business plan.

Headquartered in Glassport, Pa., Tube City, LLC, a subsidiary of Tube City IMS Corp., is a leading provider of outsource purchasing, scrap management, including scrap optimization, and slag processing and material recovery services to integrated steel mills, minimills and foundries. Tube City IMS has operations at 64 mill site facilities throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.

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.