JFE Steel Corporation (JFE) and ThyssenKrupp Steel (TKS) have realized important achievements lately from the comprehensive cooperation agreement for automotive steel and its related research and development, which was signed in April 2002. As the result of aggressive activities been conducted by the two companies, such as information exchange and various joint research and development, we established "Common Specifications" between the two companies as well as other achievements, all of which could realize "Win-Win Scenario" for the two companies.

1. Responding to the request from Japanese and European OEMs to establish the global automotive steel supply network, "Common Specifications" between the two companies were completed. It covers from mild steel up to 600 Mpa high strength steel for automotive applications and it set both identical and similar specifications so that all the customers could easily place orders of equivalent steel grade to JFE and TKS through the specifications. Brochure to introduce details of the specifications is available for the customers.

2. Cross Licensing contract between "Only One" product of both companies, NANO from JFE and CP (complex-phase steel) from TKS, was signed. It will make possible for both products to be produced and supplied as global commodity to the customers both in Asia and Europe.

3. For the purpose of promoting of the joint research and development activities between the two companies of next generation ultra high strength steel, researchers were exchanged from this October.

JFE - with a crude steel production of 27.5 million t per year second biggest steel company in Japan - and TKS are planning to continue and accelerate the cooperation activities in order to realize further "Win-Win Scenario" and to strengthen their global automotive steel supply network for OEMs.

Contact:

ThyssenKrupp Steel AG
Erwin Schneider
Tel.: +49 203 52 - 2 56 90
Fax: +49 203 52 - 2 57 07
e-mail: erwin.schneider@tks.thyssenkrupp.com

Dietmar Stamm
Tel.: +49 203 52 - 2 62 67
Fax: +49 203 52 - 2 57 07
e-mail: dietmar.stamm@tks.thyssenkrupp.com