ISG ING Groep NV

International Steel Group Responds to Increased Demand for Coated Products; ISG Weirton to Start Second Blast Furnace RICHFIELD, Ohio, July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- International Steel Group Inc. (NYSE:ISG) today announced plans to increase production at its ISG Weirton Inc. subsidiary in response to strong customer demand for its value-added, coated steel products. ISG will restart a second blast furnace at the Weirton, West Virginia facility, which is expected to produce approximately 2,200 additional tons of iron per day. "The integration of Weirton Steel into the ISG family of businesses has occurred seamlessly and more rapidly than we had expected," said Rodney Mott, president and chief executive officer of International Steel Group. "The support of our customers, the enthusiasm and hard work of our employees and the cooperation of the Independent Steelworkers Union together have made it possible for ISG to start up Weirton's second blast furnace -- and, above all, to call another 50 steelworkers back to productive employment," Mott said. ISG is the largest producer of tin-plated steel for the packaging industry and the second-largest producer of galvanized steel in North America. Value-added grades of steel currently represent about 60 percent of ISG's annual production. Value-added products carry higher selling prices and profit margins than commodity grades of steel. ISG will invest about $2.5 million in repairs to ISG Weirton's Number Four blast furnace and upgrades to the plant's continuous slab caster. The blast furnace is expected to begin operation by the end of July following up to two weeks of repairs and improvements. Employees are being recalled immediately under the terms of the agreement between the Company and the union. Following today's recall, ISG Weirton will employ approximately 1,900 steelworkers. "ISG Weirton will now be able to benefit from the strong demand for value- added tin plated and galvanized steel from our customers in the food packaging and construction industries," Mott said. About International Steel Group Inc. International Steel Group Inc. is the largest integrated steel producer in North America, based on steel making capacity. The Company has the capacity to cast approximately 21 million tons of steel products annually. It ships a variety of steel products from 13 major steel producing and finishing facilities in eight states, including hot-rolled, cold-rolled and coated sheets, tin mill products, carbon and alloy plates, rail products and semi-finished shapes serving the automotive, construction, pipe and tube, appliance, container and machinery markets. For additional information on ISG, visit http://www.intlsteel.com/ . Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this release that are not historical facts, including statements accompanied by words such as "will," "believe," "expect," "estimate," or similar terms, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward- looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. These statements contain time-sensitive information that reflects management's best analysis only as of the date of this release. ISG does not undertake any ongoing obligation, other than that imposed by law, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events, information or circumstances that arise after the date of this release. Factors that may cause actual results and performance to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, negative overall economic conditions or conditions in the markets served; competition within the steel industry; changes in U.S. or foreign trade policy affecting steel imports or exports; changes in foreign currencies affecting the strength of the U.S. dollar; actions by domestic and foreign competitors; the inability to achieve the Company's anticipated growth objectives; changes in availability or cost of raw materials, energy or other supplies; labor issues affecting the Company's workforce or the steel industry generally; and the inability to implement the Company's operating culture and philosophy at acquired facilities. Further information concerning issues that could materially affect financial performance related to forward-looking statements can be found in ISG's Prospectus filed on December 12, 2003, and in the Company's subsequent periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. DATASOURCE: International Steel Group Inc. CONTACT: Bill McKenzie, Vice President & General Manager of ISG Weirton Inc., +1-304-797-2296 Web site: http://www.intlsteel.com/

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