None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

None

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the period covered by the annual report:

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

R Yes No

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 Yes RNo

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

RYesNo

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

 Yes  No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large Accelerated Filer R    Accelerated Filer    Non-accelerated Filer 

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow:

Item 17 Item 18   

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

 Yes  R No

Introduction

Unless otherwise specified, all references in this annual report to:

“we,” “us,” “our” or “CSN” are to Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional and its consolidated subsidiaries;

“Brazilian government” are to the federal government of the Federative Republic of Brazil;

“real,” “reais” or “R$” are to Brazilian reais, the official currency of Brazil;

“U.S. dollars,” “$,” “U.S.$” or “USD” are to United States dollars;

“billions” are to thousands of millions, “km” are to kilometers, “m” are to meters, “mt” or “tons” are to metric tons, “mtpy” are to metric tons per year and “MW” are to megawatts;

“TEUs” are to twenty-foot equivalent units;

“consolidated financial statements” are to the consolidated financial statements of Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional and its consolidated subsidiaries reported in International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the IASB – IFRS as of December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 and for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014 and 2015 together with the corresponding Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm;

 “ADSs” are to CSN’s American Depositary Shares and “ADRs” are to CSN’s American Depositary Receipts; and

“Brazil” is to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

Forward-Looking Statements

This annual report includes forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, principally under the captions “Item 3. Key Information,” “Item 4. Information on the Company,” “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.” We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events, industry and financial trends affecting our business.

Many important factors, in addition to those discussed elsewhere in this annual report, could cause our actual results to differ substantially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements, including, among other things:

·         general economic, political and business conditions in Brazil and abroad, especially in China, which is the largest world steel producer and main consumer of our iron ore;

·         demand for and prices of steel and mining products;

·         the effects of the global financial markets and economic slowdowns;

·         changes in competitive conditions and in the general level of demand and supply for our products;

·         our liquidity position and leverage;

·         management’s expectations and estimates concerning our future financial performance and financing plans;

·         our level of debt and our ability to obtain financing on satisfactory terms;

·         availability and price of raw materials;

·         changes in international trade or international trade regulations;

·         protectionist measures imposed by Brazil and other countries;

·         our capital expenditure plans;

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Summary Financial and Operating Data

The following tables present summary historical consolidated financial and operating data for us for each of the periods indicated. Solely for the convenience of the reader, Brazilian real  amounts as of and for the year ended December 31, 2015 have been translated into U.S. dollars at the commercial market rate in effect as of December 31, 2015 as reported by the Central Bank of R$3.905 to U.S.$1.00. The selected financial data below should be read in conjunction with “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.”

 We have applied, beginning January 1, 2013, IFRS 10 - Consolidated Financial Statements, which establishes principles for the presentation and preparation of consolidated financial statements when an entity controls one or more entities, and IFRS 11 - Joint Arrangements, which requires a new valuation of joint arrangements, focusing on the rights and obligations of the arrangement, instead of its legal form. The reffered new standard provides additional transition relief, limiting the requirement to provide adjusted comparative information to only the preceding comparative period. We applied this transition relief as described above with respect to the adoption of IFRS 10 and IFRS 11.

The financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2012 have been restated for the effects of the retrospective adoption of these new standards. Our financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2011 remain unchanged and as disclosed previously. The selected financial data for the year ended December 31, 2011 have not been retrospectively adjusted and, as a result, are not comparable with the information as of and for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

(1)  Amounts consist of dividends declared and accrued interest on shareholders’ equity during the year. For a discussion of our dividend policy and dividend and interest payments, see “Item 8A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information-Dividend Policy.”

(2) The selected financial data as of and for the year ended December 31, 2011  have not been retrospectively adjusted for the effects of the adoption of IFRS 10 and 11 as permitted by the transition guidance related to these standards.

(3) In 2013, the financial information was substantially impacted by the deconsolidation of Transordestina Logística S.A. which began to be recognized under the equity accounting method, due to the partial spin-off and the entry into effect of the new shareholders’agreement. For further information, see Other operating income (expenses) included in Item 5A. Operating Results.

(4)   The 2015 financial information was impacted by the business combination of Congonhjas Minérios as described in “Item 5A. Operating Results”

The Brazilian foreign exchange system allows the purchase and sale of foreign currency and the international transfer of reais by any person or legal entity, regardless of the amount, subject to certain regulatory procedures.

The Brazilian real has experienced frequent and substantial variations in relation to the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies during the recent decades. The Central Bank has intervened occasionally to mitigate volatility in foreign exchange rates.

We cannot predict whether the Central Bank or the Brazilian government will continue to allow the Brasilian  real  to float freely or will intervene in the exchange rate market through a currency band system or otherwise. The Brazilian real may depreciate or appreciate against the U.S. dollar substantially.

The following tables present the purchese rate, expressed in reais per U.S. dollar (R$/U.S.$), for the periods indicated:

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We will pay any cash dividends and make any other cash distributions with respect to our common shares in Brazilian currency. Accordingly, exchange rate fluctuations may affect the U.S. dollar amounts received by ADS holders on conversion into U.S. dollars of such distributions for payment by the depositary. Fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Brazilian real and the U.S. dollar may also affect the U.S. dollar equivalent of the real price of our common shares on BM&FBOVESPA.

3B. Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not required.

3C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not required.

3D. Risk Factors

An investment in our ADSs or common shares involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below before making an investment decision. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our ADSs could decline due to any of these risks or other factors, and you may lose all or part of your investment. The risks described below are those that we currently believe may materially affect us.

Risks Relating to Brazil

The Brazilian government exercises significant influence over the Brazilian economy. This influence, as well as Brazilian political and economic conditions, could materially and adversely affect us.

The Brazilian government frequently intervenes in the Brazilian economy and occasionally makes significant changes in policy and regulation. See “—Government efforts to combat inflation may hinder the growth of the Brazilian economy and could harm us” and “Item 5A. Operating Results—Brazilian Macro-Economic Scenario, Effects of Exchange Rate Fluctuations.” The Brazilian government’s actions, policies and regulations have involved, among other measures, increases in interest rates, changes in tax policies, price controls, currency devaluations, capital controls and limits on imports. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by political, social, and economic developments in or affecting Brazil, and by changes in policy or regulations at the federal, state or municipal levels involving or affecting factors such as:

·         interest rates;

·         exchange controls;

·         currency fluctuations;

·         inflation; 

·         price volatility of raw materials and our final products;

·         lack of infrastructure in Brazil;

·         energy and water supply shortages and rationing programs;

·         liquidity of the domestic capital and lending markets;

·         regulatory policy for the mining, steel, cement, logistic and energy industries;

·         environmental policies and regulations;

·         tax policies and regulations, including frequent changes in tax regulations that may result in uncertainties as to future taxation; and

·         other political, social and economic developments in or affecting Brazil.

Recent economic and political instability, which have become more acute at the end of 2015, may lead to legislative or regulatory changes that could negatively affect us. In addition, such changes may also lead to further economic uncertainty and to heightened volatility and negative perception of the Brazilian securities markets which may adversely affect us and the trading price of our common shares.

Political crises, corruption scandals and deadlock in Brazil have in the past affected and are currently affecting the development of the Brazilian economy and the trust of foreign investors, as well as the public in general. Recent popular unrest has led to large demonstrations in the past three years, with the Brazilian populace expressing growing dissatisfaction with the country’s deteriorating political climate, corruption, mounting inflation, slow GDP growth and high interest rates.

In addition and as a consequence to the above mentioned, since 2011, Brazil has experienced an economic slowdown. The Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, growth rates were a negative 3.8% in 2015, 0.1% in 2014, 2.7% in 2013, 1.8% in 2012 and 3.9% in 2011, compared to a GDP growth of 7.5% in 2010. In 2016, analysts project that the Brazilian GDP will contract 3.9%, according to a Focus Report published by the Brazilian Central Bank on April 29, 2016. Our results of operations and financial condition have been, and will continue to be, affected by the growth rate of the Brazilian GDP. We cannot assure you that the GDP will increase or remain stable. Developments in the Brazilian economy may affect Brazil’s growth rates and, consequently, the use of our products and services.

Exchange rate instability may adversely affect us and the market price of our common shares and ADSs.

The Brazilian currency has long experienced frequent and substantial variations in relation to the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies. For example, the real appreciated 11.8%, 8.7% and 17.2% against the U.S. dollar in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. In 2008, as a result of the worsening global economic crisis, the real depreciated 32% against the U.S. dollar, closing at R$2.337 to U.S.$1.00 on December 31, 2008. For the years of 2009 and 2010, amid robust GDP growth and a strong local economy the real appreciated 25.5% and 4.2%, respectively, against the U.S. dollar, closing at R$1.741 and R$1.666 to U.S.$1.00 on December 31, 2009 and 2010, respectively. Since 2013, the real depreciated against the U.S. dollar by 14.6% in 2013, 13.4% in 2014 and 47.0% in 2015, mainly due to external and internal factors, closing at R$2.343, R$2.656 and R$ 3.905 to U.S.$1.00 on December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. On April 29, 2016 the exchange rate was R$3.45 per U.S.$1.00.

Depreciation of the real against major foreign currencies could create inflationary pressures in Brazil and contribute to Central Bank increases in interest rates, which could negatively affect us and the growth of the Brazilian economy, may curtail access to foreign financial markets and may prompt government intervention, which could include recessionary measures. Depreciation of the real can also, as in the context of an economic slowdown, lead to decreased consumer spending and reduced growth of the economy as a whole.

On the other hand, appreciation of the real relative to major foreign currencies could lead to a deterioration of Brazilian foreign exchange current accounts, as well as affect export-driven growth. Depending on the circumstances, either depreciation or appreciation of the real could materially and adversely affect the growth of the Brazilian economy and us, as well as impact the U.S. dollar value of distributions and dividends on, and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the market price of, our common shares and our ADSs.

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In the event the real depreciates in relation to the U.S. dollar, the cost in reais of our foreign currency-denominated borrowings and imports of raw materials, particularly coal and coke, will increase. On the other hand, if the real appreciates in relation to the U.S. dollar, it will cause real-denominated production costs to increase as a percentage of total production costs and cause our exports to be less competitive. We had total U.S. dollar-denominated or -linked indebtedness of R$18,384 million or 53% of our total indebtedness, as of December 31, 2015. Because of the real depreciation, the U.S. dollar-denominated debt increased by R$4,227 million compared to December 31, 2014.

Government efforts to combat inflation may hinder the growth of the Brazilian economy and could harm us.

Brazil has in the past experienced extremely high rates of inflation, which has led the government to pursue monetary policies that have contributed to one of the highest real interest rates in the world. Since the implementation of the Real Plan in 1994, the annual rate of inflation in Brazil has decreased significantly, as measured by the National Broad Consumer Price Index (Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo, or IPCA). Since 2014, and especially during the year of 2015, Brazil has again experienced high rates of inflation, and the tendency is a continuing high level of inflation for 2016.  Inflation measured by the IPCA index was 5.9%, 6.4% and 10.7% in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. Inflation and the Brazilian government’s inflation containment measures, mainly through monetary policies, have had and may have significant effects on the Brazilian economy and our business. Tight monetary policies with high interest rates may restrict Brazil’s growth and the availability of credit. Conversely, more lenient policies and interest rate decreases may trigger increases in inflation, with the consequent reaction of sudden and significant interest rate increases, which could negatively affect Brazilian economic growth and us. In addition, we may not be able to adjust the price of our products in the foreign markets to offset the effects of inflation in Brazil on our cost structure, given that most of our costs are incurred in reais. The Brazilian government has introduced policies aimed at reducing inflationary pressures, which could have the effect of reducing the overall performance of the Brazilian economy.

Developments and perception of risk in other countries, especially other emerging market countries, may adversely affect the trading price of Brazilian securities, including our common shares and ADSs.

The market value of securities of Brazilian companies is affected to varying degrees by economic and market conditions in other countries, especially other emerging market countries. Although economic conditions in these countries may differ significantly from economic conditions in Brazil, investors’ reactions to developments in these other countries may have an adverse effect on the market value of securities of Brazilian issuers. Crisis in, or economic policies of, other countries may diminish investors' interest in securities of Brazilian issuers, including ours. This could adversely affect the trading price of our common shares and/or ADSs, and could also make it more difficult or impossible for us to access the capital markets and finance our operations on acceptable terms.

Risks Relating to Us and the Industries in Which We Operate

We are exposed to substantial changes in the demand for steel and iron ore, which has a substantial impact in the prices of our products and may adversely affect our results of operations.

The steel and mining industries are highly cyclical, both in Brazil and abroad. The demand for steel and mining products and, thus, the financial condition and results of operations of companies in the steel and mining industries, including us, are generally affected by macroeconomic fluctuations in the world economy and the economies of steel-producing countries, including trends in the automotive, construction, home appliances and packaging industries, as well as other industries which rely on steel distributors.  A worldwide recession, an extended period of below-trend growth in developed countries or a slowdown in the emerging markets that are large consumers of our products (such as the domestic Brazilian market for our steel products and the Chinese market for iron ore) could sharply reduce demand for our products. In addition, flat steel competes with other materials that may be used as substitutes, such as aluminum (particularly in the automotive and packaging industry), cement, composites, glass, plastic and wood. Government regulatory initiatives mandating the use of such materials in lieu of steel, whether for environmental or other reasons, as well as the development of other new substitutes for steel products, could also significantly reduce market prices and demand for steel products and thereby reduce our cash flow and profitability. Any material decrease in demand or increase in supply for steel and iron ore in the domestic or export markets served by us could have a material adverse effect on us.

Prices charged for iron ore are subject to volatility. International iron ore prices have been decreasing significantly and may have a negative impact on our revenues, cash flow, profitability, as well as result in a need to change the way we operate or in the suspension of certain of our projects and operations.

Our iron ore prices are based on a variety of pricing terms, which generally use market price indices as a basis for determining the customer price. Our prices and revenues for iron ore are consequently volatile, which may adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow. In 2015, average iron ore prices decreased 28.5% to US$ 55.5/dmt, from US$96.7/dmt in 2014. In 2014, average iron ore prices decreased 42.6% to US$96.7/dmt from US$135.2/dmt in 2013, according to the average Platts IODEX (62% Fe CFR China). On April 29th 2016, the index stood at US$65.85/dmt. As a result, revenues from our mining business decreased from 31% in 2013 to 23% in 2014 and 19% in 2015 of our total net revenues . A continuous decrease in the market prices for iron ore may result in a need to change the way we operate or, depending on the level of price decreases, even in the suspension of certain of our projects and operations and impairment of assets, which could adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.

Adverse economic conditions in China and an increase in global iron ore production capacity could have a negative impact on our revenues, cash flow and profitability.

China has been the main driver of global demand for minerals and metals over the last past years, effectively driving global prices for iron ore and steel. In 2015, China accounted for 70% of the global seaborne iron ore trade. The percentage of our iron ore sales volume consumed in China was 60% in 2015. China is also the largest world steel producer, accounting for approximately 50% of the global steel production.

A contraction of China’s economic growth could result in lower global demand for iron ore and steel and increase the global steel industry over-capacity, leading to lower revenues, cash flow and profitability. Poor performance in the Chinese real estate sector and low investments in infrastructure, two of the largest markets for carbon steel in China, could also negatively impact our results. The China GDP increased 6.9% in 2015 compared to 7.3% in 2014, 7.7% in 2013 and 7.7% in 2012.

In addition, the recent strategy of the major iron ore suppliers to maintain their production targets and planned capacity increases could have a material adverse effect on us and adversely affect our results of operations.      

We may not be able to adjust our mining production volume in a timely or cost-efficient manner in response to changes in demand.

Revenues from our mining business represented 31%, 25% and 19% of our total net revenues in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. Operating at significant idle capacity during periods of weak demand may expose us to higher unit production costs since a significant portion of our cost structure is fixed in the short-term due to the high capital intensity of mining operations. In addition, efforts to reduce costs during periods of weak demand could be limited by labor regulations or existing labor or government agreements.

Conversely, our ability to rapidly increase production capacity is limited, which could render us unable to fully satisfy demand for our iron ore. When demand exceeds our production capacity, we may meet excess customer demand by purchasing iron ore from unrelated parties and reselling it, which would increase our costs and narrow our operating margins. If we are unable to satisfy excess customer demand in this way, we may lose customers. In addition, operating close to full capacity may expose us to higher costs, including demurrage fees due to capacity restraints in our logistics systems.

The availability and the price of raw materials that we need to produce steel, particularly coal and coke, may adversely affect our results of operations.

In 2015, raw material costs accounted for 51.3% of our total steel production costs. Our main raw materials include iron ore, coal, coke, limestone, dolomite, manganese, zinc, tin and aluminum. We depend on third parties for some of our raw material requirements, including importing all of the coal required to produce coke and approximately 58.4% of our coke requirements. In addition, we require significant amounts of energy, in the form of natural gas and electricity, to power our plants and equipment.

Any prolonged interruption in the supply of raw materials, natural gas, or electricity, or substantial increases in their prices, could materially and adversely affect us. These interruptions and price increases may be a result of changes in laws or trade regulations, the availability and cost of transportation, suppliers’ allocations to other purchasers, interruptions in production by suppliers and/or accidents or similar events on suppliers’ premises or along the supply chain. Our inability to pass those cost increases on to our customers or to meet our customers’ demands because of non-availability of key raw materials could also have a material and adverse effect on us.

Our steel products face significant competition, including price competition, from other domestic or foreign producers, which may adversely affect our profitability and market share.

The global steel industry is highly competitive with respect to price, product quality and customer service, as well as technological advances that enable steel companies to reduce their production costs. Brazil’s export of steel products is influenced by several factors, including the protectionist policies of other countries, especially those of the United States, disputes regarding these policies before the WTO (World Trade Organization), the Brazilian government’s exchange rate policy and the growth rate of the world economy. Further, continuous advances in materials sciences and resulting technologies have given rise to improvements in products such as plastics, aluminum, ceramics and glass that permit them to substitute steel. Due to high start-up costs, the economics of operating a steelworks facility on a continuous basis may encourage mill operators to maintain high levels of output, even in times of low demand, which increases the pressure on industry profit margins. In addition, downward pressure on steel prices by our competitors may affect our profitability.

The steel industry has historically suffered from structural over-capacity which has worsened due to a substantial increase in production capacity in the developing world and particularly in China and India, as well as other emerging markets. China is now, by far, the largest global steel producer and, in addition, Chinese and certain steel exporting countries have favorable conditions (excess steel capacity, undervalued currency or higher market prices for steel in markets outside of such countries), which can have a significant impact on steel prices in other markets. If we are not able to remain competitive in relation to China or other steel-producing countries, our results may be adversely affected.

Since 2010, steel companies in Brazil have faced strong competition from imported products, mainly as a result of the global excess in steel production, reduction in demand for steel products in mature markets, exchange rate appreciation and tax incentives in some of the main exporting countries. Despite Brazilian import duties to protect domestic producers, a substantial volume of steel products is still being imported. If the Brazilian Government does not act against subsidized steel imports and there is an increase in imports, our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Apart from direct steel imports, the Brazilian industry has also been facing competition from imported finished goods, which affects the whole steel chain.

Protectionist and other measures adopted by foreign governments could adversely affect our export sales.  

In response to the increased production and export of steel by many countries, anti-dumping and countervailing duty and safeguard measures were imposed in the late 1990s and early 2000s by foreign governments representing the main markets for our exports. In 2015, the U.S. authorities initiated anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations on hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel sheets and coils imported from Brazil and other countries. Restrictions imposed by Canada on imports of hot-rolled products from Brazil remain in effect. In addition, technical or safety measures, such as those imposed by the European Union on imports of certain chemical substances contained in products used to protect and/or pack steel products, may be adopted and as a result create barriers to steel exports. The imposition of these and other protectionist measures by foreign countries may materially and adversely affect our export sales.

Our activities depend on authorizations, concessions, permits and licenses. Changes of laws and regulations and government measures could adversely affect us.

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Our activities are subject to governmental authorizations, concessions, licenses or permits, which include environmental licenses for our infrastructure projects and concessions, including for the port terminals we operate and the railways in which we have an equity interest. Although we believe that such authorizations, concessions, licenses and permits will be granted and/or renewed as and when requested, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to maintain, renew or obtain any required authorization, concession, license or permit, as well as that no additional requirement will be imposed in connection with such request. Authorizations, concessions, licenses or permits required for the development of our activities may require that we meet certain performance thresholds or completion milestones. In case we are unable to meet these thresholds or milestones, we may lose or not be able to obtain or renew such authorizations, concessions, licenses or permits. We also cannot guarantee that we or our controlled entities that hold concessions will timely comply with our/their obligations under any relevant Concession Agreement or in Terms of Undertaking (Termos de Ajustamento de Conduta), or TACs, entered into with governmental agencies. Any of these events may result in the loss or early termination of concessions, authorizations, permits and/or licenses, the restriction of access to public financing for the concession or the amortization of the public financing before a project begins to operate, as well as the imposition of penalties, such as fines or the closure of facilities.

In addition, if laws and regulations applicable to these authorizations, concessions, permits or licenses change, modifications to our technologies and operations could be required, and we may need to make unexpected capital expenditures. Especially concerning our mining activities, new, more stringent environmental licensing requirements for our projects and operations could be imposed as a reaction by government to a major accident occurred in Brazil in 2015 involving the Fundão tailing dam of Samarco Mineração S.A. As a result, the amount and timing of future environmental and related expenditures may vary substantially from those currently anticipated and we may encounter delays in obtaining environmental or other operating licenses, or not be able to obtain and/or renew an authorization, permit and/or license. These events and additional costs may have a negative impact on the profitability of our projects or even make certain projects economically or otherwise unfeasible. See “—Current, new or more stringent environmental, safety and health regulations imposed on us may result in increased liabilities and increased capital expenditures.”

Our activities are also subject to governmental regulation in the form of taxes, charges and royalties, which can have an important financial impact on our operations. In the countries where we are present, governments may impose new taxes, raise existing taxes and royalty rates, reduce tax exemptions and benefits or change the basis on which taxes are calculated in a manner that is unfavorable to us. The Brazilian Congress is currently reviewing a bill that proposes significant changes to the Mineral Code, including a potential increase of the royalties (CFEM) charged for our mining activities. See “Item 4B. Business Overview–Government Regulation and Other Legal Matters–Brazil – Mining Regulation –Mineral Rights and Ownership.”

The loss or inability to obtain and/or renew any authorization, concession, permit or license, or changes in the regulatory framework that we operate in, may materially and adversely affect us.

We have a level of indebtedness which could make it more difficult or expensive to refinance our maturing debt and /or incur new debt.

As of December 31, 2015, our total debt outstanding amounted to R$34,283 million, consisting of R$1,875 million of short-term debt and R$32,408 million of long-term debt. See “Item 5B. Liquidity and Capital Resources” and “Item 18. Financial Statements.” We had R$7,861 million of cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2015. Our planned investments in all of our business segments will require a significant amount of cash over the course of 2016 and following years. See “Item 4D. Property, Plant and Equipment – Capital Expenditures – Planned Investments.”

The level of our indebtedness could affect our credit rating and ability to obtain any necessary financing in the future and increase our cost of borrowing. In addition, our level of indebtedness could make it more difficult to refinance our existing indebtness and could make us more vulnerable in the event of a continued downturn in our business. In these and other circumstances, servicing our indebtedness may use a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and make it more difficult for us to make payments of dividends and other distributions to our shareholders, including the holders of our ADSs, as well as to fund our operations, working capital and capital expenditures necessary for the maintenance and expansion of our business activities.

We cannot assure you that our credit ratings will not be lowered, suspended or withdrawn by the rating agencies.

Our credit ratings are limited in scope, and do not address all material risks relating to an investment in the notes, but rather reflect only the views of the rating agencies at the time the ratings are issued. These ratings may affect the cost and other terms upon which we are able to obtain funding and are subject to change either due to factors specific to us, trends in the industries we operate, or in credit and capital markets more generally. Our high level of indebtedness and other factors have recently resulted in decreases in our credit ratings. In 2016, Fitch Ratings, Moody’s and S&P have decreased our credit ratings from B+, B1 and BB-, respectively, to B-, Caa1 and B, respectively, as of the date of this annual report. Credit rating agencies regularly evaluate us and their ratings of our long-term debt are based on a number of factors, including our financial strength. We cannot assure that credit rating agencies will not downgrade our credit ratings any further, or that such credit ratings will remain in effect for any given period of time or not be withdrawn entirely by the rating agencies, if, in the judgment of such rating agencies, circumstances so warrant. Any lowering, suspension or withdrawal of such ratings may have an adverse effect on us, our financial condition, results of operations and profitability, including our ability to refinance our existing indebtedness.

Accidents or malfunctioning equipment on our premises, railways or ports may decrease or interrupt production, internal logistics or distribution of our products and negatively impact our business.

The steel and iron ore production processes depend on certain critical equipment, such as blast furnaces, steel converters, continuous casting machines, rolling mills, drillers, reclaimers, conveyor belts, crushing and screening equipment and shiploaders, as well as on internal logistics and distribution channels, such as railways and seaports. This equipment and infrastructure may be affected in the case of malfunction or damage. In 2006, there was an accident involving the gas cleaning system adjacent to Blast Furnace No. 3 at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks, which prevented us from operating this blast furnace for approximately six months. At the end of 2015, the Company interrupted operation of the Blast Furnace No. 02 as from 2016, decreasing our annual production capacity of steel at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks by 26%. Similar or any other significant interruptions in our production process, internal logistics or distribution channels (including our ports and railways) could materially and adversely affect us.

In addition, our operations involve the use, handling, storage, discharge and disposal of hazardous substances into the environment. Our mining, steel and cement businesses are generally subject to significant risks and hazards, including fire, explosions, toxic gas leaks, spilling of polluting substances or other hazardous materials, rockfall incidents in mining operations and incidents involving mobile equipment or machinery. Such events could occur by accident or by breach of operating and maintenance standards, and could result in a significant environmental impact, damage to or destruction of our mineral properties and/or production facilities, personal injury or death, delays or suspensions in production, monetary losses and possible legal liability. We have health, safety and environmental standards and risk management programs and procedures in place to mitigate such risks, including in relation to our tailing dams. Notwithstanding our internal standards, policies and controls, our operations remain subject to incidents or accidents that could negatively and adversely affect our business reputation, results of operations and financial results.

Our insurance policies may not be sufficient to cover all our losses

We maintain several types of insurance policies, in line with the risk management of our businesses, which attempt to follow industry market practices for similar activities. Coverage in such policies encompasses domestic and international (import and export) cargo transportation (road, rail, sea or air), life insurance, personal accidents, health, auto insurance, D&O, general liability, erection risks, boiler and machinery coverage, trade credit insurance, surety, named perils, ports and terminal liabilities. We also have an operational risks policy for the Presidente Vargas Steelworks, Congonhas Minérios, Sepetiba Tecon and CSN Mining for a total insured value of U.S.$ 600 million out of a total risk amount of U.S.$ 11.1 billion. Under the terms of this policy we remain responsible for the first U.S.$ 375 million in losses (material damages and loss of profits). The coverage obtained in these insurance policies may not be sufficient to cover all risks we are exposed to. Additionally, we may not be able to successfully contract or renew our insurance policies in terms satisfactory to us. The occurrence of one or more of these events may adversely affect our financial position.

Our projects are subject to risks that may result in increased costs and/or delays or that could prevent their successful implementation.

We are investing to further increase our steel, mining and cement production capacity, as well as our logistics capabilities. See “Item 4D. Property, Plant and Equipment—Capital Expenditures—Planned Investments”. These projects are subject to a number of risks that may adversely affect our growth prospects and profitability, including the following:

·      we may encounter delays, availability problems or higher than expected costs in obtaining the necessary equipment, services and materials to build and operate a project;

·      our efforts to develop projects according to schedule may be hampered by a lack of infrastructure, including availability of overburden and waste disposal areas as well as reliable power and water supplies;

·      we may fail to obtain, lose, or experience delays or higher than expected costs in obtaining or renewing the required permits, authorizations, licenses, concessions and/or regulatory approvals to build or continue a project; and

·      changes in market conditions, laws or regulations may make a project less profitable than expected or economically or otherwise unfeasible.

Any one or a combination of the factors described above may materially and adversely affect us.

Current, new or more stringent environmental, safety and health regulations imposed on us may result in increased liabilities and increased capital expenditures.

Our steel making, mining, cement, energy and logistics facilities are subject to a broad range of laws, regulations and permit requirements in Brazil relating mainly to the protection of health, safety and the environment.

Brazilian pollution standards are expected to continue to change, including the introduction of new effluent and air emission standards, water management and solid waste-handling regulations, wildlife maintenance regulations, restrictions on business expansions, native forest preservation requirements and the obligation to create privately owned conservation areas (Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural), or RPPNs, as an environmental compensation for industrial and mining expansion projects. The Brazilian government has adopted a decree under the national policy for climate change (Política Nacional de Mudanças Climáticas) that contemplates a 5% reduction in carbon emissions projected for 2020 for the industrial sector (including steel making and cement sectors) and an action plan for the sector is being developed by a technical committee composed of representatives from the government, industry associations and academia. The target reduction for the mining sector is yet to be established. In addition, the state of Rio de Janeiro, through its State Environmental Agency (Instituto Estadual do Ambiente), or INEA, issued a law that requires steel making and cement facilities to present action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when renewing or applying for operational licenses. In regard to air emission standards, the Environmental National Council, or CONAMA, issued a resolution that obliges steel companies to comply with certain restrictions until 2018. The federal government has also established a national policy for solid waste (Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos), which provides for more strict guidelines for solid waste management and industry targets for reverse logistics as part of the environmental licensing process. Finally, a new regulatory framework for mining operations is currently being developed by the Department of Geology, Mining and Mineral Processing from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, which may impose stricter regulations on our mining operations, including requests for environmental recovery of areas and investments for the granting of mining concessions.

New or more stringent environmental, safety and health standards imposed on us could require us to make increased capital expenditures, create additional legal preservation areas in our properties, or make modifications in operating practices or projects.  Especially with regard to our mining activities, new more stringent environmental, health and safety standards, including with respect to the licensing process of our projects and operations, could be imposed due to a major accident occurred in Brazil in 2015 involving the Fundão tailing dam of Samarco Mineração S.A. As a result, the amount and timing of future environmental and related expenditures may vary substantially from those currently anticipated. These additional costs may also have a negative impact on the profitability of the projects we intend to implement or may make such projects economically unfeasible. We could also be exposed to civil penalties, criminal sanctions and closure orders for non-compliance with these regulations, as well as encounter delays in the receipt of environmental or other operating licenses. Waste disposal and emission practices may result in the need for us to clean up or retrofit our facilities at substantial costs and/or could result in substantial liabilities. Environmental legislation restrictions imposed by foreign markets to which we export our products may also materially and adversely affect our export sales and us.

In addition, we may be requested to enter into Terms of Undertaking (Termos de Ajustamento de Conduta), or TACs with Brazilian regulators and agencies that require us to minimize or eliminate the risk of environmental impacts in the areas where we operate. If we are unable to comply with a TAC in a timely manner, we may be exposed to penalties, such as fines, revocation of permits, or closure of facilities. See “Item 4B. Government Regulation and Other Legal Matters – Environmental Expenditures and Claims and Item 8A – Financial Information – Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information – Legal Proceedings”.

Our governance and compliance procedures may fail to prevent regulatory penalties and reputational harm.

We operate in a global environment, and our activities straddle multiple jurisdictions and complex regulatory frameworks with increased enforcement activities worldwide. Our governance and compliance procedures may not prevent breaches of law, accounting and/or governance standards. We may be subject to breaches of our Code of Ethics, business conduct protocols and instances of fraudulent behavior and dishonesty by our employees, contractors or other agents. Our employees or our employees’, contractors’ or other agents’ failure to comply with applicable laws and other standards could subject us to fines, loss of operating licenses and reputational harm, as well as other penalties, which may materially and adversely affect us.

We may fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, which could prevent us from timely and accurately reporting our financial results

The Company's internal controls over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements on a timely manner due to inherent limitations, including human error, circumvention or overriding of controls, or fraud. Even effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements. If the Company fails to maintain the adequacy of its internal controls, including any failure to implement new or improved required controls, the Company's business and financial results could be harmed and the Company could fail to meet its financial reporting obligations. In this regard, and in connection with management’s evaluation of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015, management determined that the Company did not maintain effective controls over the Significant Unusual Transactions (SUT) and that the ineffective control over SUT constitutes a material weakness.

While the Company is in the process of improving its internal controls, the material weakness will continue to exist until the remediation actions are fully implemented and tested. If the new controls being implemented to address the material weakness and to strengthen the overall internal control over accounting for SUT do not operate effectively, or if the Company is unsuccessful in implementing or maintaining these new controls or is otherwise unable to remediate this material weakness, the Company’s financial reporting may be disclosed untimely or with inaccuracies, which could negatively impact the Company’s business and financial results.

Some of our operations depend on joint ventures, jointly controlled entities, consortia and other forms of cooperation, and our business could be adversely affected if our partners fail to observe their commitments.

We currently operate parts of our business through joint ventures, strategic alliances and consortia with other companies. We have, among others, established a strategic alliance with an Asian consortium at our controlled investee Congonhas Minérios S.A., or Congonhas, to mine iron ore, a joint venture with other Brazilian steel and mining companies at MRS Logística S.A., or MRS, to explore railway transportation in the Southeastern region of Brazil, a joint venture with certain Brazilian governmental entities at Transnordestina Logística S.A., or TLSA, to explore railway transportation in the Northeastern region of Brazil, a joint venture with Tractebel Energia S.A. and Cia. de Cimento Itambé at Itá Energética S.A., or ITASA, to produce electricity, and a consortium with Vale S.A., Votorantim Metais Zinco S.A., CEMIG Geração e Transmissão S.A. and Anglo Gold Ashant Córrego do Sítio Mineração S.A. at Igarapava Hydroelectric Power Plant to produce electricity.

Our forecasts and plans for theseis strategic alliances, joint ventures and consortia assume that our partners will observe their obligations to make capital contributions, purchase products and, in some cases, provide managerial personnel or financing. In addition, many of the projects contemplated by our joint ventures or consortia rely on financing commitments, which contain certain preconditions for each disbursement. If any of our partners fails to observe their commitments or we fail to comply with all preconditions required under our financing commitments or other partnership arrangements, the affected joint venture, consortium or other project may not be able to operate in accordance with its business plans, or we may have to increase the level of our investment to implement these plans. In addition, certain of our joint venture agreements provide for customary dispute and deadlock resolution mechanisms, as well as put and call options exercisable under certain circumstances, which may require us to incur disbursements. Any of these events may have an adverse effect on us.

Drilling and production risks could adversely affect the mining process.

Once mineral deposits are discovered, it can take a number of years from the initial phases of drilling until production is possible, during which time the economic feasibility of production may change.  Substantial time and expenditures are required to:

·       establish mineral reserves through drilling;

·       determine appropriate mining and metallurgical processes for optimizing the recovery of metal contained in ore;

·       obtain environmental and other licenses;

·       construct mining, processing facilities and infrastructure required for greenfield properties; and

·       obtain the ore or extract the minerals from the ore.

If a mining project proves not to be economically feasible by the time we are able to profit from it, we may incur substantial losses and be obliged to take write-offs.  In addition, potential changes or complications involving metallurgical and other technological processes arising during the life of a project may result in delays and cost overruns that may render the project not economically feasible.

Our mineral reserve estimates may materially differ from the mineral quantities that we may be able to actually recover; our estimates of mine life may prove inaccurate; market price fluctuations and changes in operating and capital costs may render certain ore reserves uneconomical to mine; and we may face rising extraction costs or investment requirements over time as our reserves deplete.

Our reported ore reserves are estimated quantities of ore and minerals that we have determined can be economically mined and processed under present and anticipated conditions to extract their mineral content. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of reserves and in projecting potential future rates of mineral production, including many factors beyond our control. Reserve engineering involves estimating deposits of minerals that cannot be measured in an exact manner, and the accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data and engineering and geological interpretation and judgment. As a result, no assurance can be given that the indicated amount of ore will be recovered or that it will be recovered at the rates we anticipate. Estimates of different engineers may vary, and results of our mining production subsequent to the date of an estimate may lead to revision of estimates. Reserve estimates and estimates of mine life may require revision based on actual production experience and other factors. For example, fluctuations in the market prices of minerals and metals, reduced recovery rates or increased operating and capital costs due to inflation, exchange rates or other factors may render proven and probable reserves uneconomic to exploit and may ultimately result in a restatement of reserves.

In addition, reserves are gradually depleted in the ordinary course of our exploration activities. As mining progresses, distances to the primary crusher and to waste deposits becomes longer and pits become steeper. Also, for some types of reserves, mineralization grade decreases and hardness increases at increased depths. As a result, over time we may experience rising unit extraction costs with respect to each mine, or we may need to make additional investments, including adaptation or construction of processing plants and expansion or construction of tailing dams. Our exploration programs may also fail to result in the expansion or replacement of reserves depleted by current production. If we do not enhance existing reserves or develop new operations, we may not be able to sustain our current level of production beyond the remaining lives of our existing mines. See “Item 4B—Business Overview—Our Mining Segment—Mineral Reserves”.

Natural and other disasters could disrupt our operations. 

Our business and operating results could be negatively impacted by social, technical and/or physical risks such as flooding, fire, power loss, loss or reduction of water supply, leakages, accidents, as well as telecommunications and information technology system failures. For example, flooding in Australia at the

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end of 2010 affected global coal supply and consequently increased our raw material costs. In addition, heavy rainfall in the Southeast Region of Brazil, as well as power and water supply shortages and rationing programs could affect our operations and consequently our revenues. Such events could affect our ability to conduct our business operations and, as a result, reduce our operating results and materially and adversely affect us.

We may not be able to consummate proposed acquisitions successfully or integrate acquired businesses successfully.

From time to time, we may evaluate acquisition opportunities that would strategically fit our business objectives. If we are unable to complete acquisitions, or integrate successfully and develop these businesses to realize revenue growth and cost savings, our financial results could be adversely affected. Acquisitions also pose the risk that we may be exposed to successor liability involving an acquired company. Due diligence conducted in connection with an acquisition, and any contractual guarantees or indemnities that we receive, may not be sufficient to protect us from, or compensate us for, actual liabilities. A material liability associated with an acquisition, such as labor or environmental liability, could adversely affect our reputation and financial performance and reduce the benefits of the acquisition.

In addition, we may incur asset impairment charges related to acquisitions, which may reduce our profitability. Our acquisition activities may also present financial, managerial and operational risks, including diversion of management attention from existing core businesses, difficulties integrating or separating personnel, financial and other systems, failure to achieve the operational benefits that were anticipated at the time of the transaction, adverse effects on existing business relationships with suppliers and customers, inaccurate estimates of fair value made in the accounting for acquisitions and/or amortization of acquired intangible assets which would reduce future reported earnings, potential loss of customers or key employees of acquired businesses, and indemnities and potential disputes with the buyers or sellers. Finally, proposed acquisitions may also be subject to review from the competition authorities of the countries involved in the transaction, which may approve such transaction, approve such transaction with restrictions, including the divestment of assets, or reject it. Any of these activities or adverse regulatory decisions could negatively affect our reputation, product sales, financial condition and/or results of operations.

We may not be able to maintain adequate liquidity and our cash flows from operations and available capital may not be sufficient to meet our obligations

 While our cash flows from operations and available capital have been sufficient to meet our current operating expenses, contractual obligations and debt service requirements to date, our liquidity, cash flows from operations and available capital may be negatively impacted by the pricing environment for our steel and iron ore products, the exchange rate environment and the effects of continued negative economic conditions in Brazil. These factors have materially and adversely impacted our liquidity and we expect this trend to continue. Recent cost cutting measures implemented by us may not be sufficient to offset these effects or improve our liquidity.

We have recently announced certain measures to improve our liquidity and debt profile, including the potential sale of certain assets and the extension of our debt with Caixa Economica Federal and Banco do Brasil (for further information, see Item “5B. Liquidity and Capital Resources”). If we are unable to successfully sell certain assets and/or reduce our leverage, we may not be able to maintain adequate liquidity and our cash flows from operations and available capital may not be sufficient to meet our obligations.  

We have experienced labor disputes in the past that have disrupted our operations, and such disputes may recur.

A substantial number of our employees and some of the employees of our subcontractors are represented by labor unions and are covered by collective bargaining or other labor agreements, which are subject to periodic renegotiation. Strikes and other labor disruptions at any of our facilities or labor disruptions involving third parties who may provide us with goods or services, have in the past and may in the future materially and adversely affect the operation of our facilities, and/or the timing of completion and the cost of our projects.

We are exposed to the risk of litigation

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We are currently and may in the future be a party to legal proceedings and claims. For some of these legal proceedings and claims, we have not established a provision on our balance sheet or have only established provisions for part of the amounts in question, based on our external or internal counsel’s judgment as to the likelihood of an outcome favorable to us.

Although we are contesting such proceedings and claims, the outcome of each specific proceeding and claim is uncertain and may result in obligations that could materially and adversely affect our business and the value of our shares and ADSs. See “Item 8A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings” for additional information.

Risks Relating to our Common Shares and ADSs

Our controlling shareholder has the ability to direct our business and affairs and its interests could conflict with yours.

Our controlling shareholder has the power to, among other things, elect a majority of our directors and determine the outcome of any action requiring shareholder approval, including transactions with related parties, corporate reorganizations, acquisitions, dispositions, the destination and diversification of our investments, and the timing and payment of any future dividends, subject to minimum dividend payment requirements imposed under Brazilian Corporate Law. Our controlling shareholder may have an interest in pursuing acquisitions, dispositions, financings or similar transactions that could conflict with your interests as a holder of our common shares and ADSs. For a description of our ownership structure, see “Item 7A. Major Shareholders”.

If you surrender your ADSs and withdraw common shares, you risk losing the ability to remit foreign currency abroad and certain Brazilian tax advantages.

As an ADS holder, you benefit from the electronic certificate of foreign capital registration obtained by the custodian for our common shares underlying the ADSs in Brazil, which allows the custodian to convert dividends and other distributions with respect to the common shares into non-Brazilian currency and remit the proceeds abroad. If you surrender your ADSs and withdraw common shares, you will be entitled to continue to rely on the custodian’s electronic certificate of foreign capital registration for only five business days from the date of withdrawal. Thereafter, upon the disposition of, or distributions relating to, the common shares, you will not be able to remit abroad non-Brazilian currency unless you obtain your own electronic certificate of foreign capital registration or you qualify under Brazilian foreign investment regulations that entitle some foreign investors to buy and sell shares on Brazilian stock exchanges without obtaining separate electronic certificates of foreign capital registration. If you do not qualify under the foreign investment regulations you will generally be subject to less favorable tax treatment of dividends and distributions on, and the proceeds from any sale of, our common shares. For more information regarding exchange controls, see “Item 10.D. Exchange Controls”. If you seek to obtain your own electronic certificate of foreign capital registration, you may incur expenses or suffer delays in the application process, which could delay your ability to receive dividends or distributions relating to our common shares or the return of your capital in a timely manner. The depositary’s electronic certificate of foreign capital registration may also be adversely affected by future legislative changes.

Holders of ADSs may not be able to exercise their voting rights.

Holders of ADSs may only exercise their voting rights with respect to the underlying common shares in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, ADS holders must vote by giving voting instructions to the depositary. Upon receipt of the voting instructions of the ADS holder, the depositary will vote the underlying common shares in accordance with these instructions. If we ask for voting instructions, the depositary will notify ADS holders of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver the proxy card. We cannot assure that ADS holders will receive the proxy card in time to ensure that they can instruct the depositary to vote. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not liable for failing to carry out voting instructions or for the manner of carrying out voting instructions. Alternatively, ADS holders can exercise their right to vote by surrendering their ADSs for cancellation in exchange for our common shares. Pursuant to our bylaws, the first call for a shareholders’ meeting must be published at least 15 days in advance of the meeting, and the second call must be published at least 08 days in advance of the meeting. When a shareholders’ meeting is convened, holders of ADSs may not receive sufficient advance notice to surrender their ADSs in exchange for the underlying common shares to allow them to vote with respect to any specific matter. As a result, holders of ADSs may not be able to exercise their voting rights.

The relative volatility and illiquidity of the Brazilian securities markets may substantially limit your ability to sell the common shares underlying the ADSs at the price and time you desire.

Investing in securities that trade in emerging markets, such as Brazil, often involves greater risk than investing in securities of issuers in the United States, and such investments are generally considered to be more speculative in nature. The Brazilian securities market is substantially smaller, less liquid, more concentrated and can be more volatile than major securities markets in the United States. The ten largest companies in terms of market capitalization represented 40% of the total market capitalization of the BM&FBOVESPA as of December 31, 2015. The top ten stocks in terms of trading volume accounted for 46%, 47.2% and 36.9% of all shares traded on the BM&FBOVESPA in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Accordingly, although you are entitled to withdraw the common shares underlying the ADSs from the depositary at any time, your ability to sell the common shares underlying the ADSs at a price and time at which you wish to do so may be substantially limited.

Holders of ADSs may be unable to exercise preemptive rights with respect to our common shares.

We may not be able to offer our common shares to U.S. holders of ADSs pursuant to preemptive rights granted to holders of our common shares in connection with any future issuance of our common shares unless a registration statement under the Securities Act is effective with respect to such common shares and preemptive rights, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available. We are not obligated to file a registration statement relating to preemptive rights with respect to our common shares or to undertake steps that may be needed to find exemptions from registration available, and we cannot assure you that we will file any such registration statement or take any such steps. If such a registration statement is not filed and an exemption from registration does not exist. The JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as depositary, may attempt to sell the preemptive rights, and you will be entitled to receive the proceeds of such sale. However, these preemptive rights will expire if the depositary does not sell them, and U.S. holders of ADSs will not realize any value from the granting of such preemptive rights. For a more complete description of preemptive rights with respect to the underlying shares, see “Item 10B. Memorandum and Articles of Association—Preemptive Rights”. 

A decrease in our market capitalization may increase volatility.

       In recent years our market capitalization has decreased and as a result the volatility in the trading price of our common shares and ADSs has increased. Any further decreases in our market capitalization may further increase volatility.  In 2015, the trading price of our ADSs dropped for a certain period below the levels required by the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”).  If the trading price of our ADSs again drops below those levels, we may be required to do a reverse stock split or a ratio change of the number of common shares per ADS in order to regain compliance with NYSE´s listing standards.

Item 4. Information on the Company

4A. History and Development of the Company 

Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional is a Brazilian corporation (sociedade por ações) incorporated in 1941 pursuant to a decree of the Brazilian president at the time, Getúlio Vargas. The Presidente Vargas Steelworks, located in the city of Volta Redonda, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, started the production of coke, pig iron and steel products in 1946. Also in 1946, we incorporated both the Casa de Pedra Mine, located in the city of Congonhas, State of Minas Gerais, and the Arcos Mine, located in the city of Arcos, State of Minas Gerais. The Casa de Pedra Mine assures us self-sufficiency in iron ore, whereas the Arcos Mine meets all our needs for flux, limestone and dolomite.

The Company was privatized through a series of auctions held in 1993 and early 1994, through which the Brazilian government sold its 91% ownership interest.

• Iron ore produced from our own company mines is processed in continuous sintering machines to produce sinter;
• Sinter and lump ore direct charges are smelted with lump coke and injected powdered coal in blast furnaces to produce pig iron;
• Pig iron is then refined into steel via basic oxygen converters;
• Steel is continuously cast in slabs; and
• Slabs are then hot rolled, producing hot bands that are coiled and sent to finishing facilities.

In addition to the production of flat steel, we entered into the long steel segment, with the acquisition of Stahlwerk Thüringen Gmbh (SWT) in 2012 for €483.4 million. SWT is a long steel producer in Germany with annual production capacity of approximately 1.1 million tons of steel sections.

We also completed a new plant for production of long steel products in Volta Redonda, in December 2013. The plant consists of an electric arc steelmaking furnace, continuous casting for billets and a hot rolling mill for round section long products – wire rod and rebar. We expect this plant to reach 500,000 t/year output when fully operational, providing the domestic market with products for civil construction.

Mining Activities

We own a number of high quality iron ore mines, all located within Brazil’s Iron Ore Quadrangle (Quadrilátero Ferrífero), in the state of Minas Gerais, including the Casa de Pedra and Engenho mines, located in the city of Congonhas, pertaining to our controlled investee, Congonhas Minérios, and Fernandinho mines, located in the city of Itabirito and the Cayman and Pedras Pretas mining rights, located in the city of Rio Acima and Congonhas, respectively, pertaining to our wholly owned subsidiary Minérios Nacional S.A. (“Minérios Nacional”, former Mineração Nacional S.A.). Our mining assets also include the cargo terminal Itaguaí Port, or TECAR, pertaining to Congonhas Minérios, the Bocaina mines, located in the city of Arcos, in the state of Minas Gerais, which produces dolomite and limestone, and Estanho de Rondônia S.A., or ERSA, located in the city of Ariquemes, in the state of Rondônia, which mines and casts tin. We sold 21.5 million tons, 25.2 million tons and 25.7 million tons of iron ore in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. 

Logistics

Our verticalization strategy and intense synergies among our business units are strongly dependent on the logistics needed to guarantee the transportation of the inputs at a low operating cost. A number of railways and port terminals make up the logistics system integrating our mining, steelmaking and cement units.

We operate a port terminal for containers, Sepetiba Tecon, at Itaguaí Port, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and Congonhas Minérios operates the solid bulks terminal, or TECAR, also located at Itaguaí Port, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

We also have interests in three railways: (i) we share control in MRS Logística S.A., which operates the former Southeast System of the Federal Railway System, along the Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo-Belo Horizonte axis; (ii) we have an interest in jointly controlled investee Transnordestina Logística S.A., or TLSA; and (iii) we control Ferrovia Transnordestina Logística S.A, or FTL, which operates the former Northeastern Railway System or RFFSA.

Cement

We entered the cement market in May 2009, driven by the high synergy with our steelmaking business. This segment takes advantage of the slag generated by our blast furnaces, our limestone, used to produce clinker, reserves, located in the city of Arcos, in the state of Minas Gerais. Limestone is used to produce clinker. Clinker and slag are the main inputs in cement production. 

We plan to increase our market share in the cement segment in Brazil in order to diversify our product mix and markets, reducing risks and adding value for our shareholders.

Energy

Steelmaking requires significant amounts of electricity to power rolling mills, production lines, hot metal processing, coking plants and auxiliary units. In 2015, our Presidente Vargas Steelworks consumed approximately 3.012 million MWh of electric energy.

Our main source of electricity is our thermoelectric co-generation power plant at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks, which is fueled by the gases from the steel production process, with 235.2 MW installed capacity. In addition, we have a 29.5% interest in the Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant in Santa Catarina, through a 48.75% equity interest in ITASA, and a 17.9% interest in the Igarapava Hydroelectric Power Plant in Minas Gerais, from which we have ensured energy an average of 167 MW and an overage of 23 MW, respectively. These three plants give CSN an average generation capacity of 425 MW, supplying the group’s total need for power. In 2014, we installed a new turbine generator at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks, which adds 21 MW to our existing installed capacity. This turbine is located near our Blast Furnace No. 3, using the outlet gases from the iron making process to generate energy.   

Other Information

CSN’s legal and commercial name is Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional. CSN is organized for an unlimited period of time under the laws of the Federative Republic of Brazil. Our head offices are located at Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 3400, 19^th and 20^th floors and 15^th floor - part, Itaim Bibi, São Paulo, Brazil, CEP 04538-132, and our telephone number is +55-11-3049-7100. CSN’s agent for service of process in the United States is CT Corporation, with offices at 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10011.

4B. Business Overview

Competitive Strengths

We believe that we have the following competitive strengths:

Integrated business model. We are a highly integrated steelmaker. This is due to our captive sources of raw materials, principally iron ore, and infrastructure, such as railways and deep-sea water port facilities. We own a number of high quality iron ore mines, all located within Brazil’s Iron Ore Quadrangle (Quadrilátero Ferrífero), in the State of Minas Gerais, distinguishing us from our main competitors in Brazil which have to purchase all or a portion of their iron ore from mining companies.

Profitable mining business. We have in recent years invested significantly in our mining business, placing CSN in a prominent position among the world’s leading iron ore players. Further expansions will enable expanding product portfolio and total output, increasing our presence in seaborn markets.

The Company has high-quality iron ore reserves in Casa de Pedra, Engenho, Fernandinho and other mines, all located in Minas Gerais. Our mining activities provide relevant EBITDA generation. We sold 23.8 million tons in 2011, 20.2 million tons in 2012, 21.5 million tons in 2013, 25.2 million tons in 2014 (taking into account our proportional interest in Namisa throughout this period) and 25.7 million tons in 2015 (including 100% of NAMISA due to full consolidation of Congonhas Minerios as of December, 2015). The company’s mining business also includes TECAR, a solid bulks terminal at Itaguai Port (RJ), with a capacity to handle 45 mtpy, Mineração Bocaina, located in Arcos (MG), which produces dolomite and limestone and ERSA, which mines and casts tin.

 During 2015, we implemented cost reduction actions, which along with the Real depreciation, reduced our production costs at the Casa de Pedra mine from US.$ 24.66/ton in 2014 to US.$ 15.56/ton in  2015.

Thoroughly developed transport infrastructure. We have a thoroughly developed transport infrastructure, connecting our iron ore mine to our steel mill and to the port terminals we operate. The Presidente Vargas Steelworks facility is located next to railway and port systems, facilitating the supply of raw materials, the shipment of our production and easy access to our main clients. Our steelworks are close to the main steel consumer centers in Brazil, with easy access to port facilities and railway. The concession for the main railway we use and operate is owned by MRS, a company in which we hold a 34.94% direct and indirect ownership interest. The railway connects our Casa de Pedra mine to the Presidente Vargas Steelworks and to our terminals at Itaguaí Port, which handles our iron ore exports and most of our steel exports, as well as our imports of coal and metallurgical coke. Since the constitution of MRS railway, in 1996, it has significantly improved its productivity and developed its business, with increased cash generation.

Self-sufficiency in energy generation. We are self-sufficient in energy through our interests in the hydroelectric plants of Itá and Igarapava, as well as our own thermoelectric plant located inside the Presidente Vargas Steelworks. We also sell the excess energy we generate in the energy market on a spot basis. Our 256 MW thermoelectric cogeneration plant provides the Presidente Vargas Steelworks with approximately 60% of its energy needs for its steel mills, using as its primary fuel the waste gases generated by our coke ovens, blast furnaces and steel processing facilities. We hold a 29.5% stake in the Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant, in Santa Catarina. This ownership grants us an assured energy of 167 MW, proportional to our interests in the project, pursuant to a 30-year power purchase agreements at a fixed price per megawatt hour, adjusted annually for inflation. In addition, we own 17.9% of the Igarapava hydroelectric plant, with 210 MW fully installed capacity and a direct take of 23 MW of assured energy to us.

Low cost structure. As a result of our fully integrated business model, our thoroughly developed transportation infrastructure and our self-sufficiency in energy generation, we have been consistently generating high margins compared to peer companies of both steel and mining segmens. Other factors that lead to our low cost structure include the strategic location of our steelworks facility along with our well qualified work force with a lean cost.

Diverse product portfolio and product mix. We have a diversified flat steel product mix that includes hot-rolled, cold-rolled, galvanized and steel tin mill products, in order to meet a wide range of customer needs across all steel consuming industries. We focus on selling high-margin products, such as tin-coated, pre-painted, galvalume and galvanized products. Our galvanized products provide material for exposed auto parts, using hot-dip galvanized steel and laser-welded blanks. Our CSN Paraná branch provides us with additional capacity to produce high-quality galvanized, galvalume and pre-painted steel products for the construction and home appliance industries. In addition, our distribution subsidiary, Prada, provides a strong sales channel in the domestic market, enabling us to meet demand from smaller customers, thus creating an important presence in this market.

Strong presence in domestic market and strategic international exposure for steel products. We have a strong presence in the domestic market for steel products, with a market share above 30% of the domestic flat steel market, according to the Brazilian Steel Instute (IABR). In addition, we use our subsidiaries CSN LLC and Lusosider as sales channels for our flat steel products in the United States and in Europe, which accounted for approximately 22% of our total sales in 2015. Direct exports accounted for 4% of our total sales in 2015. In 2012 we acquired SWT, a long steel producer in Germany with annual production capacity of approximately 1.1 million tons of steel profiles, strengthening our steel products mix and geographical diversification. In 2015, SWT accounted for 15% of our total sales.

Strategies

Our goal is to increase value for our shareholders by further benefiting from our competitive cost advantages and quality of product portfolio, maintaining our position as one of the world’s lowest-cost steel producers, increasing our relevance as an important iron ore global player, increasing market share and size of our cement business and optimizing our infrastructure assets (including ports, railways and power generating plants) to enable high integration, quality product and low costs. To achieve these goals, we developed specific strategies for each of our business segments, as described below.

Steel

The strategy for our steel business involves:

·         A focus on the domestic market, by increasing  market share in the flat steel segment and long steel market;

·         An emphasis on high margin coated steel products, such as galvanized, galvalume, pre-painted and tin plate;

·         Geographical diversification through our flat and long steel facilities abroad. We also intend to maintain and diversify our exports, focused on high quality products such as coated steels;

·         The constant pursuit of operational excellence, by developing and implementing cost reduction projects (e.g. energy efficiency) and process review programs (e.g. internal logistic optimization, project development and implementation discipline);

·         Exploring marketing and commercial synergies by using our flat steel distribution network and product portfolio to accelerate entrance into the domestic long steel market; and

·         Increasing customized services and distribution abilities through our expanding distribution network.

For information on planned investments relating to our steel activities, see “Item 4D. Property, Plant and Equipment – Capital Expenditures – Planned Investments.”  

Mining

In order to strengthen our position in the iron ore market, we plan to invest in our mining assets, such as Congonhas Minérios, to enable low operational costs and long term growth opportunities.

In the coming years, we expect to reach an annual shipment level of over 60 mtpy of iron ore products, including third party products, by increasing mine capacity at Casa de Pedra and other mines, along with developing export services for third party producers. Considering the current pricing and global iron ore competitive scenario, we will focus on exporting quality iron ore with low cost, guaranteeing participation in the seaborne market.

To sustain this growth, we plan to increase capacity in TECAR, our solid bulks terminal at Itaguai Port, to 70 mtpy.

In order to maximize the profitability of our product portfolio, we also plan to focus on increasing our output of high quality pellet-feed, by using Itabirito’s deposits and investing with strategic partners and clients in providing pellet feed to pellet producers.

For information on planned investments relating to our mining activities, see “Item 4D. Property, Plant and Equipment – Capital Expenditures – Planned Investments”.  

Logistics

We expect to expand our current logistics capabilities, including our integrated infrastructure operations of railways and ports.

We intend to continue to improve the delivery of our products in the domestic market (mainly steel and cement) by implementing low cost measures and improving our efficiency through integration and increase in the use of rail transportation, and by providing more distribution centers to reach end clients.

In addition to investments in TECAR, we expanded the TECON terminal at Itaguaí Port in 2014.  The project enables us to operate large vessels simultaneously, increasing TECON’s capacity to 440,000 containers.

In terms of railways, the Transnordestina Logística project is being developed to explore a logistic potential, focusing on iron ore, agricultural commodities, gypsum and fuel. We also plan to invest in increasing our efficiency and capacity in the south of Brazil through our interest in MRS.

On September 20, 2013 we entered into an investment agreement with our partners in TLSA, Valec Engenharia, Construções e Ferrovias S.A. and Fundo de Desenvolvimento do Nordeste – FDNE, two Brazilian federal government entities focused on infrastructure and the development of the northeastern region, to implement the partial spin-off of TLSA. The operation was part of a business reorganization and resulted in the segregation of the assets of the Northeastern railway system into two systems: (i) Railway System I, operated by FTL, comprising the stretches between the cities of São Luís – Mucuripe, Arrojado – Recife, Itabaiana – Cabedelo, Paula Cavalcante – Macau and Propiá – Jorge Lins and (ii) the Railway System II, operated by TLSA, comprising the stretches between Missão Velha – Salgueiro, Salgueiro – Trindade, Trindade – Eliseu Martins, Salgueiro – Porto de Suape and Missão Velha – Porto de Pecém.

 As a result of the partial spin-off and the subsequent entry into effect of the new shareholders’ agreement, control of TLSA is now shared with other shareholders, who have veto rights over certain important corporate decisions. As a result, we ceased to consolidate TLSA and began recognizing it in accordance with the equity accounting method. See “Item 4B. Business—Our Logistics Segment—Railways—Northeastern Railway System.”

Cement

Our cement business strategy involves the utilization of the limestone reserves in our Arcos mine and the slag generated by our blast furnaces at Volta Redonda. The first cement grinding mill was inaugurated in 2009, with capacity to produce 2.3 million tons per year. In 2011, we began producing clinker in the Arcos plant enabling lower production costs. We intend to expand our cement production capacity to 5.3 million tons per year over the next few years. We plan to achieve this goal by adding 3.0 million tons per year of capacity through the construction of three new grinding mills and the construction of a new clinker kiln in Arcos. During 2015, we inaugurated two new grinding mills, reaching 4.3 million tons of capacity. For information on planned investments relating to our cement activities, see “Item 4D. Property, Plant and Equipment – Capital Expenditures – Planned Investments.”

Additional Investments

In addition to the currently planned investments and capital expenditures, we continue to consider possible acquisitions or divestments, joint controlled entities and brownfield or greenfield projects to improve our steel, cement and mining cost competitiveness and production, along with our logistics capabilities, logistics infrastructure and energy generation.

Our Steel Segment

We produce carbon steel, which is the world’s most widely produced type of steel, representing the vast bulk of global consumption. From carbon steel, we sell a variety of products, both domestically and abroad, to manufacturers in several industries.

Flat Steel

The following chart reflects our flat steel production cycle in general terms.

Our Presidente Vargas Steelworks produces flat steel products — slabs, hot-rolled, cold-rolled, galvanized and tin mill products. For further information on our production process, see “—Production Process.”

Slabs  

Slabs are semi-finished products used for processing hot-rolled, cold-rolled or coated coils and sheet products. We are able to produce continuously cast slabs with a standard thickness of 250 millimeters, widths ranging from 830 to 1,600 millimeters and lengths ranging from 5,250 to 10,500 millimeters. We produce high, medium and low carbon slabs, as well as micro-alloyed, ultra-low-carbon and interstitial free slabs. The slabs are then slitted and finished, generating blooms which are delivered to the long products plant.

Hot-Rolled Products  

Hot-rolled products include heavy and light-gauge hot-rolled coils and sheets. A heavy gauge hot-rolled product, as defined by Brazilian standards, is a flat-rolled steel coil or sheet with a minimum thickness of 5.01 millimeters. We are able to provide coils of heavy gauge hot-rolled sheet having a maximum thickness of 12.70 millimeters used to manufacture automobile parts, pipes, structural beams and other construction products. We produce light gauge hot-rolled coils and sheets with a minimum thickness of 1.20 millimeters, which are used for welded pipe and tubing, automobile parts, gas containers, compressor bodies and light cold-formed shapes, channels and profiles for the construction industry.

Cold-Rolled Products  

Cold-rolled products include cold-rolled coils and sheets. A cold-rolled product, as defined by Brazilian standards, is a flat cold-rolled steel coil or sheet with thickness ranging from 0.30 millimeters to 3.00 millimeters.Cold-rolled products have more uniform thickness and better surface quality when compared to hot-rolled products and their main applications are automotive parts, home appliances and construction. We supply cold-rolled coils in thicknesses of between 0.30 millimeters and 2.99 millimeters.

Galvanized Products  

Galvanized products are comprised of flat-rolled steel coated on one or both sides with zinc or a zinc-based alloy applied by either a hot-dip or an electrolytic process. We use the hot-dip process, which is approximately 20% less expensive than the electrolytic process. Galvanizing is one of the most effective and low-cost processes used to protect steel against corrosion caused by exposure to water and the atmosphere. Galvanized products are highly versatile and can be used to manufacture a broad range of products, such as:

·         automobiles, trucks and bus bodies;

·         manufactured products for the construction industry, such as panels for roofing and siding, dry wall and roofing support frames, doors, windows, fences and light structural components;

·         air ducts and parts for hot air, ventilation and cooling systems;

·         culverts, garbage containers and other receptacles;

·         storage tanks, grain bins and agricultural equipment;

·         panels and sign panels; and

·         pre-painted parts.

Galvanized sheets, both painted and bare, are also frequently used for gutters and downspouts, outdoor and indoor cabinets, all kinds of home appliances and similar applications. We produce galvanized sheets and coils in continuous hot-dip processing lines, with thickness ranging from 0.30 millimeters to 3.00 millimeters. The continuous process results in products with highly adherent and uniform zinc coatings capable of being processed in nearly all kinds of bending and forming machinery.

We produce Galvanew® in addition to the standard galvanized products. This product is produced by an additional annealing cycle just after the zinc hot-dip coating process. This annealing process causes iron to diffuse from the base steel into the zinc coating. The resulting iron-zinc alloy coating allows better welding and paint performance. The combination of these qualities makes our Galvanew® product particularly well suited for manufacturing automobile and home appliance parts including high gloss exposed parts.

At CSN Paraná, one of our branches, we produce Galvalume®, a continuous Al-Zn coated material. Although the production process is similar to the hot-dip galvanized coating, Galvalume® has at least twice the corrosion resistance of standard galvanized steel. Galvalume® is primarily used in outdoor construction applications that may be exposed to severe acid corrosion, like marine uses.

The value added from the galvanizing process permits us to price our galvanized products with a higher profit margin. Our management believes that our expertise in value-added galvanized products presents one of our best opportunities for profitable growth because of the increase in Brazilian demand for such high margin products.

Through our branch CSN Paraná, we also produce pre-painted flat steel, which is manufactured in a continuous painting line. In this production line, a layer of resin-based paint in a choice of colors is deposited over either cold-rolled or galvanized base materials. Pre-painted material is a higher value-added product used primarily in the construction and home appliance markets.

Tin Mill Products  

Tin mill products consist of flat-rolled low-carbon steel coils or sheets with, as defined by Brazilian standards, a maximum thickness of 0.45 millimeters, coated or uncoated. Coatings of tin or chromium are applied by electrolytic process. Coating costs place tin mill products among the highest priced products that we sell. The added value from the coating process permits us to price our tin mill products with a higher profit margin. There are four types of tin mill products, all produced by us in coil and sheet forms:

·         Tin plate - coated on one or both sides with a thin metallic tin layer plus a chromium oxide layer, covered with a protective oil film;

·         Tin free steel - coated on both sides with a very thin metallic chromium layer plus a chromium oxide layer, covered with a protective oil film;

·         Low tin coated steel - coated on both sides with a thin metallic tin layer plus a thicker chromium oxide layer, covered with a protective oil film; and

·         Black plate - uncoated product used as the starting material for the coated tin mill products.

Tin mill products are primarily used to make cans and other containers. With six electrolytic coating lines, we are one of the biggest producers of tin mill products in the world and the sole producer of coated tin mill products in Brazil.

Production Process

The main raw materials used in flat production in an integrated steelworks are iron ores, coals, coke, and fluxes such as limestone and dolomite. The iron ore consumed at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks is extracted, crushed, classified, screened (treatment process) and transported by railway from our Casa de Pedra mine, located in the city of Congonhas, in the State of Minas Gerais, 328 km away from the Presidente Vargas Steelworks. The high quality ores mined and sized at Casa de Pedra, with an iron content of approximately 60%, and its low extraction costs are major contributors to our low steel production costs.

We import all the hard coking coals required for coke production and PCI coals for the blast furnace process, due to the lack of hard coking and PCI coals with the appropriate quality in Brazil. The hard coking coals are then charged in coke batteries to produce coke through a distillation process. See “—Raw Materials and Suppliers—Raw Materials and Energy Requirements.” This coal distillation process also produces coke oven gas as a byproduct, which we use as a main source of fuel for our thermoelectric co-generation power plant. After being screened, coke is transported to blast furnaces, where it is used as a combustion source and also as a component to transform iron ore to hot metal. In 2015, we produced approximately 41.6% of our coke needs, the remaining coke was imported.

 At sintering plants, fine-sized iron ore and coke breeze or other fine-sized solid fuels are mixed with fluxes (limestone and dolomite) to produce sinter. The sinter, lump iron ore, iron ore pellets (which are 100% acquired in the domestic market), fluxing materials and coke are then loaded into our two operational blast furnaces for smelting. We operate a pulverized coal injection facility, or PCI, which allows to inject low-cost pulverized coals directly into the blast furnaces, replacing approximately one-third of the total coke demand.

The iron ore and iron ore pellets are reduced to pig iron through successive chemical reactions with carbon monoxide (from the coke and PCI coal) at the blast furnaces, which operate 24 hours a day. The iron and iron ore pellets are gradually reduced, then melts and flows downward. Impurities are separated from the hot metal to form a liquid slag with the loaded fluxes (limestone and dolomite). From time to time, hot metal (white-hot liquid iron) and slag are drained from the bottom of the furnace. Slag (containing melted impurities) is granulated and used to produce cement.

The hot metal is transported to the steelmaking shop by 350-ton capacity torpedo cars and charged in basic oxygen furnaces together with scrap and fluxes. At the basic oxygen furnaces, oxygen is blown onto the liquid burden to oxidize its remaining impurities and to lower its carbon content, thus producing liquid steel. The molten steel is conveyed from the basic oxygen furnaces to the secondary refining equipment (degasser, ladle furnace and Argon stirring station). After adjusting the chemical composition, the molten steel is transferred to the continuous casting machines from which crude steel (i.e., rectangular shaped slabs) is produced. A portion of the slab products can be sold directly in the export market. 

In the hot rolling process, reheated slabs from the continuous casting machines are fed into hot strip mills to reduce the thickness of the slabs from 250 millimeters to a range of between 1.2 and 12.7 millimeters. At the end of the hot strip mill, the long, thin steel strip from each slab is coiled and conveyed to a cooling yard. Some hot-rolled coils are dispatched directly to customers in the as-rolled condition. Others are further processed at the pickling lines, in a hydrochloric bath, to remove surface oxides and improve surface quality. After pickling, the hot-rolled coils selected to produce thinner materials are sent to be rolled at cold strip mills. CSN has three cold strip mills, one of which was revamped in September 2011, adding 150,000 tons per year to CSN’s cold rolling capacity. The better surface characteristics of cold-rolled products enhance their value to customers when compared to hot- rolled products. Additional processing related to cold-rolling may further improve surface quality. Following cold-rolling, coils may be annealed, coated (by hot dip galvanizing or electrolytic tinning process) and painted, to enhance medium-and long-term anti-corrosion performance and also to add characteristics that will broaden the range of steel utilization. Coated steel products have higher profit margins than bare steel products. Of our coated steel products, tin mill and galvanized products are our highest margin products.

Steel plant equipment regularly undergo scheduled maintenance shutdowns. Typically the rolling mills and coating lines are maintained on a weekly or monthly basis whereas the blast furnaces and other special equipment are scheduled for routine maintenance on a semi-annual or annual basis.

Our business encompasses operational and commercial activities. Our operations are undertaken by our production sector, which is composed of the following two units:

·         The operational unit - responsible for steel production operations, repair shops, in-plant railway, and process development at our Presidente Vargas Steelworks; and

·         The support unit - responsible for production planning, management of product stockyards, energy and utility facilities and work force safety assistance at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks.

The production sector is also responsible for environment and quality consultancy, new product development, capital investment implementation for steel production and processing, and the supervision of CSN Porto Real’s and CSN Paraná’s operations.

Quality Management System  

We maintain a Quality Management System that is certified to comply with the International Standardization Organization ISO 9001 standard and the automotive industry’s Technical Specification ISO/TS 16949 in June 2015.  ISO 9001 is for the design and manufacture of slabs, blooms, billets, hot rolled flat, pickled and oiled, cold rolled and galvanized steel, tin mill products and long steel products and ISO/TS 16949:2009, third edition, for the manufacture of hot-rolled flat , pickled and oiled steel products, cold-rolled and galvanized steel products.

We also maintain a certification attesting that products furnished by our Araucária plant in the state of Paraná, Brazil, to the electrical and electronic equipment industries are in conformity with Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment – RoHS.

Production Output  

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the annual production of crude steel within Brazil and by us and the percentage of Brazilian production attributable to us:

The following table contains some of our operating statistics for the periods indicated:

Raw Materials and Suppliers 

The main raw materials we use in our integrated steel mill include iron ore, coke, coal (from which we make coke), limestone, dolomite, aluminum, tin and zinc. In addition, our production operations consume water, gases, electricity and ancillary materials.

Raw Materials and Energy Requirements

In the first half of 2011, prices of the main raw materials used by CSN continuously increased due to unbalanced global supply and demand. In the second half of 2011, prices decreased, mainly due to the worsening of the European crisis.

In the first nine months of 2012, prices of the main raw materials used by CSN continued to fall due to the global crisis in the steel market caused mainly by the decline in China’s growth rates and the European crisis. In the fourth quarter of 2012, prices increased, mainly due to the restocking of Chinese mills in preparation for the winter and Chinese holidays.

In 2013, 2014 and 2015, coal and coke prices continued decreasing. These commodity segments are concentrated in the hands of a few global players and there can be no assurance that price increases will not be imposed on steel producers in the future.

Iron Ore

We are able to obtain the majority of our iron ore requirements from our Casa de Pedra and Engenho mines located in the State of Minas Gerais. The only iron ore product which we buy from third parties is pellet. For a description of our iron ore segment see “– Our Mining Segment.”

Coal

In 2015, our metallurgical coal consumption totaled 1.75 million tons. Metallurgical coal includes coking coal and PCI coal, which is a lower grade coal injected into the blast furnaces, in a pulverized form, to reduce coke consumption. The PCI system reduces CSN’s need for imported coke, and since it is a lower cost compared to imported coke, thus reducing production costs. The total PCI coal consumption in 2015 totaled 0.46 million tons, all imported. The sources of the hard coking coal consumed in our plants in 2015 were as follows: USA (60.0%), Australia (35.0%) and Canada (5.0%) and for PCI: Russia (55.0%), Australia (45.0%).

During 2015, CSN’s coking coal and PCI coal costs in US dollar decreased significantly when compared to 2014 and 2013. The quarterly benchmark price for metallurgical coal began its drop and ended the year at its lowest price (US$89.00) since 2010, a decrease of US$26.00 compared with the first quarter of 2015. The deals for the first quarter of 2015 were US$2.00/mt lower than for the fourth quarter of 2014. The previous lowest settlement amount had been for the fiscal year 2009, when it was priced at US$129.00/mt.

Coke

In 2015, in addition to the approximately 0.94 million tons of coke we produced, we also consumed 1.32 million tons of coke bought from third parties in China and Colombia, a decrease of 21.66% as compared to our consumption in 2014. The decrease in coke production throughout 2015 derives from an onogoing revamp project in our coke plants, which will last through the next few years.

Limestone and Dolomite

Our Bocaina mine is located in Arcos, in the State of Minas Gerais, and has been supplying, since the early 1970s, limestone (calcium carbonate) and dolomite (dolomitic limestone) to our Presidente Vargas Steelworks in Volta Redonda. These products are used in the process of sintering and calcination. Arcos has one of the largest and highest quality reserves of limestone in the world, which is used in the production of various products, including clinker and cement.

The annual production of limestone and dolomite for our steelworks is approximately 2.5 million tons.

The main products obtained from limestone and dolomite that are transferred to our steelworks in Volta Redonda are:

·         Limestone and dolomite calcination: with a granulometry between 32 and 76 mm, they are used in the lime plant in Volta Redonda to produce calcitic and dolomitic lime, for further use in the steelmaking process and sintering. At the steelworks, lime is used for chemical controlling of liquid slag, in order to preserve the refractory of the converters and assist in the stabilization of the chemical reactions that occur during the steel manufacturing process. During sintering, the purpose of lime is to increase the performance of this process and the final quality of the sinter that is produced.

·         Limestone and dolomite fines for sintering: used in the production of “sinter”, in our steelworks. The sintering process mixes and heats together with fine ores, solid fuel and flux, producing a highly reactive granulated burden. The sinter is used in blast furnaces as the main source of iron for the production of pig iron.

Beginning in 2011, with the start-up of clinker plant to produce cement in Volta Redonda, the mine in Arcos also became responsible for supplying limestone for cement manufacturing in Volta Redonda.

Aluminum, Zinc and Tin

Aluminum is mostly used for steelmaking. Zinc and tin are important raw materials used in the production of certain higher-value steel products, such as galvanized and tin plate, respectively. We typically purchase aluminum, zinc and tin from third-party domestic suppliers under one year contracts. Specifically in relation to tin, we purchase part of our demand from CSN’s subsidiary ERSA. We maintain approximately 15, 16 and 36 days inventory of tin, aluminum and zinc, respectively, at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks.

Other Raw Materials

In our production of steel, we consume, on an annual basis, significant amounts of spare parts, refractory bricks and lubricants, which are generally purchased from domestic suppliers.

We also consume significant amounts of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, argon and other gases at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks. These gases are supplied by a third-party under a long-term contract from its gas production facilities located on the Presidente Vargas Steelworks site. In 2015, we used 698,700 tons of oxygen to produce 4.2 million tons of crude steel.

Water

Large amounts of water are also required in the production of steel. Water serves as a solvent, a catalyst and a cleaning agent. It is also used to cool, to carry away waste, to help produce and distribute heat and power, and to dilute liquids. Our source of water is the Paraíba do Sul River, which runs through the city of Volta Redonda. Over 92% of the water used in the steelmaking process is recirculated and the balance, after careful processing, is returned to the Paraíba do Sul River. Since March 2003, the Brazilian government has imposed a monthly tax for our use of water from the Paraíba do Sul River, based on an annual fee of approximately R$0.705 million.

Electricity

Steelmaking requires significant amounts of electricity to power rolling mills, production lines, hot metal processing, coking plants and auxiliary units. In 2015, our Presidente Vargas Steelworks consumed approximately 3.01 million MWh of electric energy.

Our main source of electricity is our thermoelectric co-generation power plant at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks, which is fueled by the gases from the steel production process, with 235.2 MW of installed capacity. In addition, we have a 29.5% interest in the Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant in Santa Catarina, through a 48.75% equity interest in ITASA, and a 17.9% interest in the Igarapava Hydroelectric Power Plant in Minas Gerais, from which we have ensured energy take of 167 MW on average and 23 MW average, respectively. Those three assets give CSN an average generation capacity of 425 MW, supplying the group’s total demand for power. In 2014, we installed a new turbine generator at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks, which added 21 MW to our existing installed capacity. This turbine is located near our Blast Furnace No. 3, using the outlet gases from the iron making process to generate energy.     

Natural Gas

In addition to electricity, we consume natural gas, mainly in our hot strip mill. Companhia Estadual de Gás do Rio de Janeiro S.A., or CEG Rio, which was privatized in 1997, is currently our major source of natural gas. Variations in the supply of gas can affect the level of steel production. We have not experienced any significant stoppages of production due to a shortage of natural gas. We also purchase fuel oil from Petrobras and Raízen. In 2015, the Presidente Vargas Steelworks consumed 489 million m³ of natural gas.

The market for natural gas is strongly correlated with the electricity market. Brazilian electricity generation is based principally on hydroelectric power, itself dependent on the level of Brazil’s reservoirs. As a contingency against low levels of rainfall, there are several thermoelectric power plants which use natural gas. Due to low levels of rainfall in 2013 and 2014, reservoirs reached their lowest level in the past ten years; consequently the Brazilian Electricity System Operator (Operador Nacional do Sistema Elétrico), or ONS, increased the utilization of thermoelectric generation.  

Diesel Oil

In mid-October 2006 and July 2008, we entered into agreements with Companhia Brasileira de Petróleo Ipiranga, or Ipiranga, to receive diesel oil in order to supply our equipment in our mining plants in the state of Minas Gerais, which provide the iron ore, dolomite and limestone used in our steel plant in Volta Redonda. In 2015, our consumption totaled 59,526 kiloliters of diesel oil, used to produce 25.713 million tons of iron ore, for which we paid US$ 33.5 million or R$111.6 million, until November. In December, 2015 we consumed 3.9 kiloliters, used to produce 2.1 million tons of iron ore, for which we paid US$2.0 million or R$7.5 million.

Suppliers

We acquire the inputs necessary for the production of our products in Brazil and abroad, with aluminum, zinc, tin, spare parts, refractory bricks, lubricants, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and argon being the main inputs acquired in Brazil. Coal and coke are the only inputs acquired abroad. In 2015 we consumed 262,000 tons of third party slabs. 

Our main raw materials suppliers are set forth below:

Flat Steel Mill

The Presidente Vargas Steelworks, located in the city of Volta Redonda, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, began operating in 1946. It is an integrated facility covering approximately 4.0 square km and containing five coke batteries (three of which are currently in operation), three sinter plants, two blast furnaces, a basic oxygen furnace steel shop, or BOF shop, with three converters, three continuous casting units, one hot strip mill, three cold strip mills, two continuous pickling lines, one continuous annealing line, 28 batch annealing furnaces, three continuous galvanizing lines, four continuous annealing lines exclusively for tin mill products and six electrolytic tinning lines.

At the end of 2015, the Company decided to idle Blast Furnace No. 2 operation as from 2016, decreasing our annual production capacity of steel at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks by 28% from 5.4 million tons to 3.9 million tons.

Our major operational units and corresponding effective capacities as of December 31, 2015, including CSN LLC and Lusosider, are set forth in the following chart:  

Effective Capacity

Downstream Facilities

CSN Paraná  

Our CSN Paraná branch produces and supplies plain regular galvanized products, Galvalume® products and pre-painted steel products for the automotive, construction and home appliance industries. The plant has an annual capacity of 330,000 tons of galvanized products and Galvalume® products, 130,000 tons of pre-painted products, which can use cold-rolled or galvanized steel as substrate, service capacity of 150,000 tons of sheets and narrow strips, and 220,000 tons of pickled hot-rolled coils in excess of the coils required for the coating process.

CSN Porto Real  

Our CSN Porto Real branch produces and supplies plain regular galvanized, Galvanew® products and tailored blanks mainly for the automotive industry. The plant has an annual capacity of 350,000 tons of galvanized products, including Galvanew® products, and 150,000 tons of tailored blanks, sheets and narrow strips, which can use cold-rolled or galvanized steel as a substrate.

Metalic 

We have a 99.99% ownership interest in Cia. Metalic Nordeste, or Metalic. Metalic is one of the few two-piece steel can producers in all the Americas. It has approximately 12% of the packaging market for carbonated drinks in the Northeastern region of Brazil. Currently, we are Metalic’s only supplier of the steel used to make two-piece cans. The development of drawn-and-wall-ironed steel for the production of two-piece cans is an important achievement in the production process at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks.

Prada   

We have a 99.99% ownership interest in Cia. Metalúrgica Prada, or Prada. Established in 1936, Prada is the largest Brazilian steel can manufacturer and has an annual production capacity of over one billion cans in its three industrial facilities: two located in the state of São Paulo and one in the state of Minas Gerais. Currently, we are the only Brazilian producer of tin plate, Prada’s main raw material, which makes Prada one of our major customers of tin plate products. Prada has important clients in the food and chemical industries, including packages of vegetables, fish, dairy products, meat, aerosols, paints and varnishes, and other business activities. On December 30, 2008, we merged one of our subsidiaries, Indústria Nacional de Aços Laminados S.A., or INAL, into Prada. INAL was a distributor of laminated steel founded in 1957 and, after the merger, it became a branch of Prada responsible for distribution of CSN and Prada’s products, or Prada Distribuição.

Prada Distribuição is one of the leaders in the Brazilian distribution market for steel products with 460,000 tons per year of installed processing capacity. Prada Distribuição has one steel service center and six distribution centers strategically located in the Southeast region Brazil. The service center is located in the city of Mogi das Cruzes between the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Its product mix also includes sheets, slit coils, sections, tubes, and roofing in standard or customized format, according to clients’ specifications. Prada Distribuição processes the entire range of products produced by us and services 4,000 customers annually from the civil construction, automotive and home appliances sectors, among others.

 Companhia Siderurgica Nacional, LLC  

CSN LLC holds the assets of former Heartland Steel, a flat steel processing facility in Terre Haute, Indiana. This facility has an annual cold rolling production capacity of 800,000 tons of full hard cold rolled coils. Delivery capacity of cold-rolled and galvanized products are 280,000 and 315,000 tons/year, respectively. Currently, CSN LLC is obtaining raw materials by buying hot rolled coils directly from mills in the United States or importing from mills abroad. See “Item 4B. Government Regulation and Other Legal Matters—Anti-Dumping Proceedings—United States” for a discussion about anti-dumping issues on Brazilian hot coils exports to the United States.

Lusosider, Aços Planos, S.A.

We own 99.94% of Lusosider, a flat steel processing facility located in Seixal, near Lisbon, Portugal. Lusosider has the capacity to produce and sell approximately 50,000 tons of hot-rolled pickled coils, 50,000 tons of cold-rolled  and 240,000 tons of galvanized products per year. Its main customers include service centers and tube making industries.

CSN Distribuição

We have two service centers, one located in the city of Camaçari, in the State of Bahia and one in the city of Jaboatão dos Guararapes, in the state of Pernambuco, to support sales in the Northeastern and North regions. There is also a Distribution Center in the city of Canoas, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, to support sales in the South region of Brazil.

Long Steel - Mills

SWT 

In February 2012, we acquired Stahlwerke Thuringen, or SWT, located in Unterwellenborn, Germany, which marked our entrance into the long steel market. SWT specializes in the production of profiles, including IPE (European I Beams) and HE (European Wide Flange Beams) sections, channels and UPE (Channels with Parallel Flanges) sections and steel sleepers. In total, more than 200 types of sections are produced according to different German and international standards.

The following chart reflects SWT’s production cycle in general terms.

 Production Process  

Scrap arrives at the mill by rail or road. Two gantry cranes are used to transfer the scrap to a stockyard. Two remote-controlled diesel-hydraulically driven transfer wagons carry the recycled steel in containers, which also function as charging vessels to the melting shop.

The electric arc of the DC-furnace is generated between a graphite electrode and the bottom of the furnace, which functions as the anode. This energy, supplemented by natural gas/oxygen burners, is used to convert this material into molten steel.

After the smelting process, the molten metal is tapped into the ladle in a wagon, which is then positioned under the ladle furnace. The purpose of this process is to achieve the desired composition, by the addition of alloys, and the necessary final temperature of the steel. The ladle is then transported to the casting shop with the transport wagon and is elevated onto the turret that rotates it into the casting position. The tundish distributes the steel to four strands of water-cooled copper moulds that provide the desired beam blank shape. As soon as the strands pass through the moulds they undergo an intensive cooling process. After solidification is complete, the strands pass through guides which transport and straighten the strands out of the casting arc into the horizontal plane, where they are then cut into pieces of the required length with automatic flame-cutting torches. A transfer manipulator passes the beam blanks to the roller table of the rolling mill.

The rolling mill provides facilities for both duo and universal rolling processes. In contrast to the continuous operation where the sections are rolled in strands arranged one after the other, in this reversing mill the section bar is run forwards and backwards in several passes through rolls that either have “grooves” or function according to the universal rolling principle.

The three stand assemblies in the rolling mill include, a break down stand coupled with a cropping saw, a tandem group and a finishing group. After having passed the finishing strand, the dimensional accuracy of the rolled section is measured using laser technology.

The next stage is the finishing department, where the sections, which can be up to 100m long, cool down on a walking beam cooling bed, before being straightened. The sections are then cut on a cold saw plant to lengths between 6m and 28m, as requested by customers.

Production Output - SWT

 Raw Materials and Suppliers

Raw Materials and Energy Requirements

The main raw material we use in our long steel operation is scrap. In addition, our production operations consume electricity, natural and technical gases and ancillary materials like ferroalloys, lime, dolomite and foaming coal.

Scrap

During 2011, prices for scrap continuously increased due to unbalanced supply and demand in Europe and increasing globalization of scrap trading worldwide. Prices in the European market were particularly affected. In 2013, the scrap average price decreased significantly until the middle of the year followed by a slight prices increase. In 2014 and 2015 the scrap prices decreased significantly. Our scrap consumption totaled approximately 0.9 million tons and accounted for nearly 60% of our production costs. We are able to obtain 70% of our scrap needs from within a 250 km vicinity.  

Ferroalloys, lime and foaming coal

Because we do not own any sources of alloys, lime and foaming coal we have to buy these materials from traders. Our traders are located mostly in Europe and the materials come from different producers around the world.

Rolls

We consume different types of rolls in our rolling mill, usually cast rolls which come from Germany, Italy, Slovenia and China.

Graphite electrodes

In the smelting shop (electric arc furnace), we use graphite electrodes with a diameter of 750mm and in the ladle furnace, we use electrodes with a diameter of 400mm. The electrodes come from Europe, Japan and China.

Other raw materials

In our production of steel we consume, on an annual basis, amounts of electrodes, rolls, refractory materials and materials for packaging and spare parts, which are mostly purchased from domestic suppliers.

Water  

Large amounts of water are required in the production process. Our source of water is the Saale river, located 5 km from the plant. We use our own water station to pump water via pipelines to the plant.

Electricity and Natural Gas

Steelmaking also requires significant amounts of electricity and natural gas, for which we have supply contracts. Under normal conditions, we consume approximately 450 GWh of electric energy and an equal amount of natural gas.

Suppliers              

We acquire the inputs necessary for the production of our products in Germany and other countries.

Our main raw materials suppliers are set forth below:

Facilities - SWT

SWT possesses a 28 km internal railway system, and the logistics infrastructure to ensure supply of scrap and delivery of finished products. Main markets served by SWT include: non-residential construction, equipment industries, engineering and transport, in Germany and neighboring countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic.

Volta Redonda EAF Mill

Plant Characteristics

We completed a new plant mill for production of long steel products in Volta Redonda and started assisted operations in December 2013 and 2014 we started ramping up the production process. The plant consists of a 50t electric arc steelmaking furnace, 50t ladle metallurgy, continuous casting machine for billets and a hot rolling mill for wire rod and reinforcing bar.. We expect this plant to reach up to 500,000 t/year output when fully operational, providing the domestic market with products for civil construction and high quality drawing and cold heading applications.

Steelmaking Shop

Designed for an output of 400,000 t/year, this unit mainly consists of one 50t UHP, AC electric arc furnace, one 50t ladle furnace, one continuous casting machine for billets with three strands, mobile equipment and cranes, power supply, distribution facilities and and auxiliary equipment.

Rolling Mill

Designed for an output of 500,000 t/year, this unit has one walking-beam reheating furnace, or RHF, a 4-stand blooming mill, a 250t hot shear, a 6-stand roughing mill, a 6-stand intermediate mill, a 6-stand pre-finishing mill, internal water cooling, a double length flying shear, a stepping cooling bed, a 500t cold shear, transfer inspection stand, bundling machine, a water-cooling section before wire finishing mill, a 10-stand high-speed wire finishing mill, a water-cooling section after wire finishing mill, a laying head, a loose coil cooling line, reforming device, bundling machine, stripper and coil handling devices.

Production Process - Rebar and Wire-rod

Steelmaking

The process of steelmaking begins with the arrival of smelt scrap and pig iron at our facilities by wagons and trucks. After being conditioned, scrap and pig iron are delivered for scrap bucket preparation in the scrap yard. The scrap buckets are prepared based on the type of steel that will be manufactured in the steelmaking shop.

The scrap bucket mixed with pig iron is, with the help of a crane, brought to the electric arc furnace. After loading, the furnace begins the melting process, which involves the creation of steel through use of electrodes, burners and oxygen injectors. In the furnace, the scrap metal becomes liquid steel after reaching the appropriate temperature and is tapped into a previously prepared ladle.

During tapping, alloys are added to the liquid steel and the mixture is placed in a ladle furnace. In the ladle furnace, chemical composition corrections are made to the mixture. The ladle, containing the liquid steel is then brought to the continuous casting machine.

The liquid steel is then poured into a tundish where it is cast into the molds, beginning the process of solidification and transformation of steel in billets. After being solidified, the billets are cut into particular sizes according to the intended application.

Rolling Mill

The rolling mill is comprised of a blooming mill, a roughing mill, an intermediate mill, a pre-finishing mill and a wire finishing mill in order to reduce the steel thickness and make the thickness uniform. When using 250x250mm blooms cut from BOF slabs, the blooms will be moved by a chain shifting device, which has heat insulation, that brings the blooms to the delivery table in the blooming mill before they are rolled into transfer bar of 150x150mm and then cropped and divided by a 250t hot shear. Afterwards the transfer bars are sent by the heat retaining table and chain shifting device to the roughing mill. Then, in line with product requirements, for straight pieces the transfer bar will be fed into roughing mill, intermediate rolling mill and pre-finishing mills to be rolled continuously into straight thread rebar or round bar. In order to produce wires, the rolling piece leaving the pre-finishing mill will be fed into high-speed wire finishing mill where it is rolled into the desired wire coils.

The production flow chart is showed below:

Production Output

Raw Materials and Energy Suppliers

The main raw material we use in our long steel operation in Volta Redonda is scrap, in addition to pig iron. We also use blooms, which we produce at our BOF shop. In addition, our production operations consume electricity, natural and technical gases and ancillary materials like ferroalloys, lime, dolomite and foaming coal. The supply sources for these materials are the same used for our flat steel operations. See “Item 4B—Raw Materials and Suppliers.”

Our Mining Segment

Our mining activities are one of the largest in Brazil and are mainly driven by the exploration of one of iron ore reserves, Casa de Pedra, in the State of Minas Gerais. We sell our iron ore products mainly in Asia, Europe and Brazil with sales and marketing taking place through our principal hubs in Minas Gerais, in Brazil and Austria.

Our Mines

Location, Access and Operation

Casa de Pedra

Casa de Pedra mine is an open pit mine located in the city of Congonhas in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, approximately 80 km south of the city of Belo Horizonte and 360 km north of the city of

Rio de Janeiro.  The site is approximately 1,000 meters above sea level and accessible from the cities of Belo Horizonte or Congonhas through mostly paved roads.

Casa de Pedra mine is a hematite-rich iron deposit of an early proterozoic banded iron formation in Brazil’s Iron Ore Quadrangle (Quadrilátero Ferrífero), which is located in the central part of the State of Minas Gerais in the Southeastern region of Brazil and has been one of the most important iron producing regions in Brazil for the last 50 years. It has been incorporated to CSN in 1941, but has been in operation since 1913.

Our iron ore at Casa de Pedra is currently excavated by a fleet composed of Komatsu PC5500 and Caterpillar 6060 hydraulic shovels, wheel loaders (Caterpillar 994H, Komatsu WA1200 and LeTourneau 1850) and then hauled by a fleet of Caterpillar 793D (240 tons), Caterpillar 793F (240 tons) and Terex Unit Rig MT4400AC (240 tons). This fleet has an installed annual ROM capacity of approximately 130 million tons.

Then the ore is processed in our treatment facilities, which have an installed capacity of 28 million tons of products per year. We use in Casa de Pedra electrical power provided by hydroelectric plants.

Casa de Pedra mine supplies all of our iron ore needs exept pellets, producing lump ore, sinter feed and pellet feed fines with high iron content. The maps below illustrate the location of our Casa de Pedra mine:

Engenho

The Engenho mine is also an open pit mine located at the Southwestern region of the Iron Ore Quadrangle, 60 km south of the city of Belo Horizonte and is accessible from the cities of Belo Horizonte or Congonhas through mostly paved roads. The map below illustrates the location of our Engenho mine:

The Engenho mine started operation in 1950. The ore in this mine is excavated by a fleet of wheel loaders (Komatsu WA470) and excavators (Komatsu PC600) and then hauled by a fleet of Mercedes-Benz Actros 4844 trucks. There is also equipment that operates in the dam and in the yard. These fleet consist of wheel loaders (Komatsu WA470 and Komatsu WA500), excavators (Komatsu PC600 and Komatsu PC350) and trucks (Mercedes-Benz Actros 4844 and Mercedes-Benz Axor 4144).

Then the ore is processed in the Pires treatment facilities, which have an installed capacity of 7 million tons of products per year. We use electrical power provided by hydroelectric plants in Engenho mine and Pires Complex.

Fernandinho

The Fernandinho mine is located in the city of Itabirito, in the State of Minas Gerais. This city is located in the Middle-East region of the State of Minas Gerais and approximately 40 km from the city of Belo Horizonte. Fernandinho is an open pit mine and is accessible from the cities of Belo Horizonte or Itabirito through mostly paved roads. The map below illustrates the location of our Fernandinho mine:

The Fernandinho mine also started operation in 1950. The ore in this mine is excavated by a fleet of wheel loaders (Komatsu WA470) and excavators (Komatsu PC350LC-8) and then hauled by Mercedes Bens AXOR 4144K trucks.

Then the ore is processed in the Fernandinho treatment facilities, which have an installed capacity of 600 thousand tons of products per year. We use electrical power provided by hydroelectric plants in Fernandinho mine as well.

The map below shows the location of Casa de Pedra, Engenho and Fernandinho Mines:

Casa de Pedra and Engenho mines are now part of a company named Congonhas Minérios, which resulted from the combination of the iron ore and related logistic assets of CSN and Namisa.  See “Item 5A Specific Events Affecting our Results of Operations” for more information on the transaction.

Limestone and Dolomite Mine

Our extraction and preparation of limestone and dolomite is done at our Bocaina mining facility located in the city of Arcos, in the State of Minas Gerais. The Bocaina mine is an open pit mine and it can be accessed from the cities of Belo Horizonte, located at approximately 230 km, and Volta Redonda (where the Presidente Vargas Steelworks is situated), located at approximately 462 km, through mostly paved roads.

The ore in this mine is excavated by a fleet wheel loaders (Caterpillar 990, Caterpillar 980 and excavators (Komatsu PC350LC-8, Hitachi ZX470LC-5) and then hauled by a fleet of Iveco Trakker 8 x 4, Caterpillar 775, Mercedes Axor 2831 6 x 4 and Volkswagen Constellation 21330 trucks.

 This mining facility has an installed annual production capacity of approximately 4.0 million tons. This mining facility has sufficient limestone and dolomite reserves to adequately supply our steel production, at current levels, for 40 years.

The Bocaina mine is wholly-owned by us. The maps below illustrate the location of this mine:

Tin

We own a tin operation in Itapuã do Oeste, in the State of Rondônia, through our subsidiary Estanho de Rondônia S.A. (ERSA). This facility has an installed annual production capacity of approximately 3,600 tons of tin, which we use substantially as a raw material to produce tin plate, a coated steel product. A small part of our tin production that is not used as raw material is sold to third parties; however, the results from these sales are insignificant to our consolidated results.

Mineral Rights and Ownership

The Mining Code and the Brazilian Federal Constitution impose requirements on mining companies relating to, among other things, the manner in which mineral deposits are exploited, the health and safety of workers, the protection and restoration of the environment, the prevention of pollution and the promotion of the health and safety of local communities where the mines are located. The Mining Code also imposes certain notifications and reporting requirements.

We hold concessions to mine iron ore, limestone and dolomite. We purchase manganese in the local market.  We own 87.52% of Congonhas Minérios mines and 100% of Bocaina and Santa Bárbara mines. In addition, each mine is an “open pit” mine. Iron ore extraction, crushing, screening and concentration are done in three different sites: Casa de Pedra mine and Pires beneficiation plant (all Congonhas Minério’s property) and Fernandinho mine, a Minerérios Nacional’s property

Casa de Pedra

Our mining rights for Casa de Pedra mine include the mine, a beneficiation plant, roads, a loading yard and a railway branch and are duly registered with the Brazilian Department of Mineral Production (Departamento Nacional de Produção Mineral), or DNPM. DNPM has also granted us easements in 19 mine areas located in the surrounding region, which are not currently part of Casa de Pedra mine.

We believe we have obtained and are in compliance with all licenses and authorizations for our operations and projects at Casa de Pedra mine.

Exploration undertaken at the Casa de Pedra mine is subject to mining lease restrictions, which were reflected in our iron ore reserve calculations. Quality requirements (chemical and physical) are the key “modifying factors” in the definition of ore reserves at Casa de Pedra and were properly accounted for by us.

 Mineral Reserves

The following table sets forth the type of each of our mines, period of operation, projected exhaustion dates and percentage of our interest:

The following table sets forth our estimates of proven and probable reserves and other mineral deposits at our mines reflecting the results of reserve studies. They have been calculated in accordance with the technical definitions contained in the SEC’s Industry Guide 7, and estimates of mine life described herein are derived from such reserve estimates. The mineralized material disclosed are for the entire mines, and not just for our proportional interest in the mines.

In the most recent reserve audit conducted in 2014, the losses for mine dilution and mining recovery considered were 5% each for both Casa de Pedra and Engenho mines.

In 2014 we audited resources and reserves for Casa de Pedra and Engenho mines. As for Fernandinho mine we audited only resources. We do not have audited resources/reserves studies for our Bocaina mine, thus the resources/reserves presented at the table below were not audited by any third parties for that mine.  As for our Santa Barbara mine we do not have reserve estimates and do not currently plan to begin campaigns to complete a study in connection with these property in light of its low materiality to our business.

 The metallurgical recovery factor is the proportion of iron in the ore delivered to the processing plant that is recovered by the metallurgical process. In 2015, the metallurgical recovery factor obtained by Casa de Pedra concentration plant was 82.0% and by the Pires plant was 65.8%.

The cutoff grade is the minimum ore percentage that determines which material will be fed in the processing plant. The cutoff grade value for Casa de Pedra and Engenho mines considered in the most recent audit is 23.37%.

The prices used in the 2014 audit for the estimation of Casa de Pedra reserves, are shown in the following table. As shown, the product price we assumed to estimate our reserves, is based on expectations of an average long term price of US$90 per ton, considering that as a reasonable price for a sustainable development of the iron ore market.

Casa de Pedra

In 2012, we started a multi-year study of our iron ore resources and reserves at Casa de Pedra. The study consists of two stages the first stage of which was completed at the end of December of 2014, and the second stage of which involves more drillings and research of the deposit. The first stage includes all drillholes until October of 2013, and the second one includes all drillholes after October of 2013 by the end of the drilling campaign in December of 2014. Both stages of this new study of resources and reserves of Casa de Pedra mine are in accordance with best pratices in the iron ore market.

 We conducted extensive work throughout 2014 to document and classify all information related to both the current and future operations of the Casa de Pedra mine. In 2014, we hired Snowden Group, to undertake an independent analysis of the Casa de Pedra iron ore resources and reserves. Snowden carried out a full analysis of all available information and has independently validated our reported resources and reserves.

Snowden accepts as appropriate the estimates regarding proven and probable reserves made by us, totaling 2,704 million tons of iron ore (as of December 31, 2014) at a grade of 41.36% Fe and 36.46% SiO2. This new estimate of our iron ore reserves at Casa de Pedra is significantly larger than our estimate of 1,631 million tons, contained in an appraisal report prepared in 2006 by Golder Associates.

Over the course of the Casa de Pedra Mine’s life we have executed different drilling campaigns and, in total, we have drilled 106,791 meters by the end of October of 2013, the first stage of the iron ore resources and reserves report. The last completed campaign started in October of 2012 and ended in November of 2014. In the course of that campaign, we drilled 15,752.25 meters that we used in this first stage of resources and reserves and we are currently extending our drilling campaign 17,539.40 meters which we will use in the second stage to increase and improve our knowledge of the iron ore deposits at Casa de Pedra.

Engenho and Fernandinho

In 2012 we started the same process used at Casa de Pedra to identify iron ore resources and reserves at the Engenho and iron ore resources at the Fernandinho mine in two stages.

We conducted extensive work throughout 2014 to document and classify all information related to both the current and future operations of the Engenho and Fernandinho mines. In 2014, we hired Snowden Group, to conduct an independent analysis of the Engenho iron ore resources and reserves and Fernandinho resources. Snowden carried out a full analysis of all available information and has independently validated our reported resources and reserves.

Snowden accepts as appropriate the estimates regarding proven and probable reserves made by us, totaling for Engenho 317 million tons of iron ore (as of December 31, 2014) at a grade of 39.48% Fe and 40.01% SiO2.

In November 2012 we started a new drilling campaign with an additional 11,899 meters in the Engenho mine. In this first stage we use drillings performed up until the end of October 2013. For Engenho we used 4,085 meters of this last campaign totaling 9,264 meters to report the first stage estimates. In the second stage (the drilling performed up until December, 2014) we will use 7,814 meters in the Engenho mine.

Production

Casa de Pedra

The Casa de Pedra facilities are located in the city of Congonhas, in the State of Minas Gerais. The Casa de Pedra mine is located 350 km from the Presidente Vargas Steelworks and supplies iron ore products to our steel mill, as well as for export through the Itaguaí Port. Casa de Pedra’s equipment fleet and treatment facilities have an installed annual ROM capacity of approximately 130 million tons and 28 million tons, respectively.

Pires and Fernandinho Beneficiation Plants

Pires plant is the beneficiation plant of Congonhas Minérios. The plant receives material from Engenho mine (located at the northern border of the Casa de Pedra mine) and processes crude ore acquired from other companies, which along with its own ROM, generates final products such as: lump ore, small lump ore (hematitinha), sinter feed and concentrates.

Fernandinho plant receives material from Fernandinho mine (located in the city of Itabirito) generates sinter feed and fines as final products.

The table below sets forth production of iron ore of our mines for the last three years:

(1) In addition to its own production, Namisa also purchased iron ore from third parties. Third party purchase volumes totaled 11.9 million tons, 8.3 million tons and 3.1 million tons in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.

(2) Production information considers 100% of the mines.

(1)   Consolidated sales consider 100% of Namisa’s Sales Volume until November 2015.

(2)   Since December 2015, we have been considering 100% stake of Congonhas Minérios.

Distribution

Transportation costs are a significant component of our steel and iron ore production costs and are a factor in our price-competitiveness in the export market.  Railway is the main means of transport by which we convey raw materials from our mines to the Presidente Vargas Steelworks and steel and iron ore products to ports for shipment overseas.  Iron ore, limestone and dolomite from our two mines located in the State of Minas Gerais are transported by railroad to the Presidente Vargas Steelworks for processing into steel.  The distances from our mines to the Presidente Vargas Steelworks are 328 km and 455 km.  The distances from our mines to the ports are 440 km and 160 km.  Imported coal and coke bought from foreign suppliers are unloaded at the port of Itaguaí, 90 km west of the city of Rio de Janeiro, and shipped 109 km by train to the Presidente Vargas Steelworks.  Our finished steel products are transported by train, truck and ships to our customers throughout Brazil and abroad.  Our most important local markets are the cities of São Paulo (335 km from the Presidente Vargas Steelworks), Rio de Janeiro (120 km) and Belo Horizonte (429 km).

Until recently, Brazil’s railway system (including railcars and tracks) was principally government-owned and in need of repair, but it has now been largely privatized.  In an attempt to increase the reliability of our rail transportation, we hold interests in companies that hold concessions for the main railway systems we use.  For further information on our railway concessions, see “—Facilities—Railways.”

We export iron ore and import coal and coke through the Itaguaí Port, in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The coal and container terminals have been operated by us since August 1997 and 1998, respectively.

Our Logistics Segment         

Our logistics segment is comprised of railway and port facilities.

Railways

Southeastern Railway System

MRS has a 30-year concession to operate, through the year 2026 and renewable for an equal period of 30 years, Brazil’s Southeastern railway system. As of December 31, 2015, we held 34.94% of MRS’s total capital. For more information see “Item 5E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements”. The Brazilian Southeastern railway system, with 1,643 km of track, serves the São Paulo - Rio de Janeiro - Belo Horizonte industrial triangle in Southeast Brazil, and links our mines located in the State of Minas Gerais to the ports located in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and to the steel mills of CSN, Companhia Siderúrgica Paulista or Cosipa, and Gerdau Açominas. In addition to serving other customers, the railway transports iron ore from our mines at Casa de Pedra in the State of Minas Gerais and coke and coal from Itaguaí Port in the State of Rio de Janeiro to the Presidente Vargas Steelworks and transports our exports to the ports of Itaguaí and Rio de Janeiro. The railway system connects the Presidente Vargas Steelworks to the container terminal at Itaguaí Port, which handles most of our steel exports. Our transport volumes represent approximately 19% of the Brazilian Southeastern railway system’s total volume. We are jointly and severally liable, along with the other main MRS’s shareholders, for the full payment of the outstanding amount of its indebtedness (See “Item 5E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements”). However we expect that MRS will make the lease payments through internally generated funds and proceeds from financing.

Northeastern Railway System

We hold interest in companies that have concessions to operate the Northeastern railway system, which operates in the states of Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Rio Grande do Norte and connects with the region’s leading ports, offering an important competitive advantage through opportunities for intermodal transportation solutions and made-to-measure logistics projects. Resolution No. 4,042/2013 issued by the transportation regulatory agency (Agência Nacional de Transportes Terrestres), or ANTT, authorized the partial spin-off of TLSA and, as a result, the Northeastern railway system is currently divided into the Railway System I, operated by FTL, and the Railway System II, operated by TLSA.

As of December 31, 2015, we held 89.79% of the capital stock of FTL, which has a concession to operate the Railway System I (which encompasses the stretches between the cities of São Luís – Mucuripe, Arrojado – Recife, Itabaiana – Cabedelo, Paula Cavalcante – Macau and Propiá – Jorge Lins) of Brazil’s Northeastern railway system until 2027, renewable for an additional 30 years. The Railway System I consists of 4,238 km of railways. As of December 31, 2015, R$98.7 million in concession payments were outstanding over the remaining 12 years of the concession.

As of December 31, 2015, we held 56.92% of the capital stock of TLSA, which has a concession to construct and operate the Railway System II (which encompasses the stretches between Missão Velha – Salgueiro, Salgueiro – Trindade, Trindade – Eliseu Martins, Salgueiro – Porto de Suape and Missão Velha – Porto de Pecém) of Brazil’s Northeastern railway system. Once concluded, the Railway System II will have an extension of 1,753 km of tracks that will connect the interior of Northeast Brazil to Pecém and Suape Ports. This concession was granted in 1997 and recently had its original term extended until the earlier of 2057 or the date when TLSA reaches a rate of annual return of 6.75% of its total investment with monetary adjustments. For more information, see “Item 5E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements.”

Port Facilities

Solid Bulks Terminal

We operate an integrated and modern logistics structure. Part of this structure includes the operation of TECAR through a concession renewed in 2015 and expiring in 2047.

TECAR is connected to road and rail systems across Southeastern Brazil and is one of the four port terminals that make up the Port of Itaguaí facilities. With a strategic location and a total area of 740,761 m², the terminal consists of a concrete molded berthing pier superposed on jacketed stilts connected to the mainland by an access bridge perpendicular to the berthing pier. Its backyard includes conveyor belts, an internal road system, bulk storage yards, a railway looping, as well as industrial and administrative facilities.

Our imports of coal and coke and exports of iron ore occur through this terminal. Under the terms of the concession, we have the obligation to ship at least 3.0 million tons of bulk cargo annually and, as of 2020, we undertook to ship 38.4 million tons of iron ore annually. Among the approved investments, that we had previously announced was the development and expansion of the solid bulks terminal at Itaguaí, which phase 1 expansion to handle up to 45 million tons of iron ore per year was completed in 2013. For further information, see “—D. Property, Plant and Equipment—Planned Investments—Mining.”  

Container Terminal

We own 99.99% of Sepetiba Tecon S.A., or TECON, which has a concession to operate the container terminal at Itaguaí Port for a 25-year term expiring in 2026, that is renewable for another 25 years. As of December 31, 2015, approximately U.S.$69 million of the cost of the concession remained payable over the next 11 years of the contract.  For more information, see “Item 5E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements.”

 The Itaguaí Port is located in Brazil’s Southeast Region, with all major exporting and importing areas of the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro within 500 km from the port. This area represented more than 55% of the Brazilian gross domestic product, or GDP, in 2014 according to the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística).

The Brazilian Federal Port Agency has made investments in port infrastructure projects such as expanding the maritime access channel to the Itaguaí Port and increasing its depth. In addition, significant investments were made by the Brazilian federal government in adding two extra lanes to the Rio-Santos road, and in constructing the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Bypass, a beltway that crosses the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. These factors, combined with favorable natural conditions, like natural deep waters and a low urbanization rate around the port area, allow the operation of large vessels as well as highly competitive prices for all services rendered, resulting in the terminal being a major hub port in Brazil.

We have invested in infrastructure and equipment at Sepetiba TECON, such as the Berth 301 Equalization, the acquisition of two new Super Post Panamax Ship-to-Shore Cranes and four new RTG cranes for yard operations, that were delivered in the first quarter of 2014. These investments, along with the previous ones, like the dredging of Sepetiba Tecon’s Berths 302/303 and access channel to ‑15.5m depth, increased TECON’s capacity from 320,000 containers (or 480,000 TEUs) to 440,000 containers (or 660,000 TEUs) per year.

In 2015, there was a decrease in the volume of containers operated by the terminal, which handled 151,823 units, a decrease of almost 12% compared to 2014, when we handled 172,736 units.  The impact, however, was mitigated because, despite the Brazilian economic crisis, the terminal was able to attract two new container service calls (Asia and Gulf of Mexico/USA). 

On the other hand, we exported 926,155 tons of steel products in 2015, an increase of 154% compared to 364,053 tons in 2014, breaking a 5-year record especially as a result of a combination of low domestic demand and favorable exchange rates . We also increased the operations of other cargoes, reaching a volume of 205,834 tons, compared to 110,348 tons in 2014.

Our Cement Segment

Our cement segment is comprised of a cement plant in Volta Redonda, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and in Arcos, in the state of Minas Gerais.

In 2015, two new crushing facilities were delivered in Arcos, increasing its annual capacity by 2.2 million tons of cement. With the implementation of the new clinker kiln in Arcos (MG), scheduled for 2016, CSN will achieve self-sufficiency in the production of this raw material.

Production

The cement production is held at Volta Redonda and Arcos and begins with the influx of raw materials: clinker, limestone, gypsum and slag. We consume clinker produced in our clinker plant in Arcos and eventually we import clinker to supply demand. Limestone comes from Arcos by rail. Slag is a by-product of iron and steel, produced in the blast furnace, and is also stored in the warehouse, arriving at the plant by road. CSN uses natural gypsum, from Ouricuri, in the state of Pernambuco, which arrives at the plant by truck and is stored in the warehouse.

All transportation of raw materials within the plant is carried out by conveyor belts, placing inputs in scales according to a predefined formula and delivering them to the mills. There are two grinding lines and each mill has a nominal capacity of 170 tons/h. Annual plant capacity is 2.4 million tons of cement. The mill has a hydraulic roller system, which uses pressure to grind the layer of material on the turntable. Hot gas, derived from the combustion of natural gas or petroleum coke, is used in the mills to dry materials.

The types of cement we produce are: CP III-40 RS, CP II-E-32 and CP II-E-40 in bagged and bulk forms. The plant has four silos, two of them with 10,000 tons of capacity and two with 5,000 tons of capacity. Cement can be shipped in bagged and bulk forms. We have two baggers with 12 filling nozzles (nominal capacity of 3,600 bags/hour) and two palletizers for bagging cement.

Our Energy Segment

Our energy segment is comprised of generation plants and is aimed at enabling us to maintain our self-sufficiency in energy, reducing our production cost and our exposure to fluctuations or availability of certain energy sources.

Our energy related assets include:

Thermoelectric Co-Generation Power Plant

We completed the construction of a 235.2 MW thermoelectric co-generation power plant at the Presidente Vargas Steelworks in December 1999. Since October 2000, the plant has provided the steelworks with approximately 60% of the electric energy needed in its steel mills. Aside from operational improvements, the power plant supplies our strip mills with electric energy, processed steam and forced air from the blast furnaces, benefiting the surrounding environment through the elimination of flares that burn steel-processing gases into the atmosphere. In addition, we installed a new turbine generator in 2014, which added 21 MW to our existing installed capacity. This turbine is located near our Blast Furnace No. 3, and uses the outlet gases from the iron making process to generate energy.

Itá Hydroelectric Facility

Tractebel and CSN each own 48.75% of ITASA, a special-purpose company formed for the purpose of owning and operating, under a 30-year concession granted in 2000, 60.5% of the Itá hydroelectric facility on the Uruguay river in Southern Brazil. Companhia de Cimento Itambé, or Itambé, owns the remaining 2.5% of ITASA. Tractebel directly owns the remaining 39.5% of the Itá hydroelectric facility.

The power facility was built using a project finance structure with an investment of approximately U.S.$860 million. The long-term financing for the project was closed in March 2001 and consisted of U.S.$78 million in debentures issued by ITASA, a U.S.$144 million loan from private banks and U.S.$116 million of direct financing from BNDES, all of which were paid in February 2013. The sponsors of the project have invested approximately U.S.$306 million in this project.

Itá has an installed capacity of 1,450 MW, with a firm guaranteed output of 668 MW, and became fully operational in March 2001.

We and the other shareholders of ITASA have the right to take our pro rata share (proportional to our ownership interest in the project) of Itá’s output pursuant to 30-year power purchase agreements at a fixed price per megawatt hour, adjusted annually for inflation. Since October 2002, we have been using our entire Itá take internally.

Igarapava Hydroelectric Facility

We own 17.9% of a consortium that built and has the right to operate for 30 years the Igarapava hydroelectric facility. Other consortium members are Aliança, Votorantim Metais Zinco and AngloGold Ashanti Mineração Ltda. The plant has an installed capacity of 210 MW, corresponding to 136 MW of firm guaranteed output. We have been using our 23 MW take from Igarapava to supply energy to the Arcos mines and our other units.

Marketing Organization and Strategy

Flat Steel

Our steel products are sold both domestically and abroad as a main raw material for several different manufacturing industries, including the automotive, home appliance, packaging, construction and steel processing industries.

Our sales approach is to establish brand loyalty and achieve a reputation for quality products by developing relationships with our clients and focusing on their specific needs, providing tailor-made solutions for each of our clients.

Our commercial area is responsible for sales of all of our products. This area is divided into two major teams, one focused on international sales and the other on domestic sales. The domestic market oriented sales team is divided into seven market segments: Packaging, Distribution Network, Automotive Industry (Automakers and Auto Parts), Home Appliances, Original Equipment Manufacturer, or OEM, Construction and Pipes. The commercial area also has a team called “Special Sales” which is responsible for selling all the process residues, such as blast furnace slag, pitch and ammonia, which are widely used as inputs in chemical and cement industries.

The Distribution Network division is responsible for supplying large steel processors and distributors. Besides the independent distributors, CSN also has its own distributor, called Prada Distribuição. The Pipes division supplies oil and gas pipe manufacturers as well as some industries that produce small diameter pipe and light profiles. The Packaging unit acts in an integrated way with suppliers, representatives of the canning industry and distributors to respond to customer needs for finished-products. The Automotive unit is supplied by a specialized mill, CSN Porto Real, and also by a portion of the galvanized material produced at Presidente Vargas Steelworks, benefitting from a combined sales strategy.

Historically, our export sales were made primarily through international brokers. However, as part of our strategy to establish direct, longer-term relationships with end-users, we have decreased our reliance on such brokers. We have focused our international sales on more profitable markets in order to maximize revenues and shareholder returns.

All of our sales are on an order-by-order basis and have an average delivery time of 45 days. As a result, our production levels closely reflect our order log book status. We forecast sales trends in both the domestic and export markets based on the historical data available and the general economic outlook for the near future. We have our own data systems to remain informed of worldwide and Brazilian market developments. Further, our management believes that one of the keys to our success is maintaining a presence in the export market. Such presence gives us the flexibility to shift between domestic and export markets, thereby allowing us to maximize our profitability.

Unlike with other commodity products, there is no exchange trading of steel, or uniform pricing, as wide differences exist in terms of size, quality and specifications. In general, exports are priced based on international spot prices of steel at the time of sale in U.S. dollars or Euros, depending on the destination. Sales are normally paid up front, or within 14 or 28 days, and, in the case of exports, usually backed by a letter of credit and an insurance policy. Sales are made primarily on cost and freight terms.

Sales by Geographic Region

In 2015, we sold steel products to customers in Brazil as well as to customers in 32 other countries. The fluctuations in the portion of total sales assigned to domestic and international markets, which can be seen in the table below, reflect our ability to adjust sales in light of variations in the domestic and international economies, as well as steel demand and prices, both domestically and abroad.

The two main export markets for our products are North America and Europe, representing approximately 70% and 18%, respectively, of our export sales volume in 2015.

In North America, we utilize our subsidiary CSN LLC, which acts as a commercial channel for our products. CSN has historically shipped hot-rolled to CSN LLC which is then processed and transformed into more value-added products at CSN LLC’s plant, such as cold-rolled coil and galvanized. Moreover, we are able to export cold-rolled coils which can be directly sold or processed by CSN LLC in order to manufacture galvanized products.