Arcelor has signed an agreement with Central Wire for the sale of the company’s Techalloy Co., Inc. shares.

U.S. based Techalloy Co., Inc. specializes in the production of stainless steel and nickel alloy wire and welding electrodes. With 170 employees and sales of 93 million US dollars in 2004, Techalloy produced approximately 13,400 tons of drawn wire in 2004, mainly for the automotive, food processing, engineering and aeronautics markets. Techalloy is owned by Arcelor through its Ugitech SA subsidiary.

Arcelor’s sale of Techalloy contributes to the Stainless Steel Sector's strategy of refocusing on its European and Brazilian Flat Products core businesses. The transfer of ownership is effective from February 9th, 2005.

Central Wire is a Canadian producer of stainless steel and alloy drawn wire with two production plants in Canada and two others in the USA. Central Wire is one of the leading North American wiredrawers.

Techalloy is a leading stainless steel and alloy wiredrawer in the Nafta zone, with more than 20% of the North American market. Headquartered in Mahwah, N.J., Techalloy has production plants in Baltimore, Perris and Union.

Arcelor is a leading force in the transformation of the global steel industry and a major player in all its main markets: automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging as well as general industry. Arcelor employed 98,000 employees at the end of 2003 in over 60 countries. The company places its commitment to sustainable development at the heart of its strategy and ambitions to become a benchmark for economic performance, labor relations and social responsibility in the world of steel.

Ugitech SA is a company within the Arcelor Group's Stainless Steel Sector, specialized in stainless steel and nickel alloy long products. In 2004, the business generated sales in the range of 650 million euros and a volume of approximately 208,000 tons. Its main markets are the process, automotive, construction and food processing industries.