US DOJ gives Mittal 2 months for sale decision

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has given Mittal Steel Co. until January 28 to decide which of its US mills it will sell to settle antitrust issues concerning its merger with Arcelor SA. As Mittal's initial choice for sale, the profitable Canadian sheet metal producer Dofasco Inc., said earlier this month it would not consent to being sold, Mittal must now choose between its Weirton plant in West Virginia and its Sparrows Point mill in Maryland. Mittal has not yet made its final decision, but it has publicly stated that its first choice is its largest tin operation, Weirton. Mittal officials said they had identified ten potential buyers for Weirton, including Chicago steel distributor, Esmark Inc. The Independent Steelworkers Union, representing Weirton employees, also publicly supports the sale.