HAMILTON, ON, Feb. 1 /CNW/ - Stelco Inc. (TSX:STE) announces that the transaction for the sale of the assets of AltaSteel Ltd. to Moly Cop Steel Inc., an affiliate of Scaw International Sarl, closed late yesterday. A definitive agreement in this regard was announced on December 1, 2005 with the stated expectation that the transaction would close early in 2006. The Court approved the sale on December 16, 2005. Scaw has indicated on previous occasions its intention to continue operating AltaSteel in its current lines of business and in its current location near Edmonton, Alberta. Scaw has also indicated that it looks forward to building upon the strong business platform that AltaSteel has established, while making focused capital investments to provide for increasing demand in the growing Alberta economy. Courtney Pratt, Stelco President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "This is positive news for everyone concerned. It provides AltaSteel with ownership that views it as a strategic asset. It provides employees and retirees with increased certainty. And it enables Stelco to focus on its integrated steel business going forward." This news release may contain forward-looking information with respect to the Corporation's business operations, financial performance and conditions. Actual results may differ from expected results for a variety of reasons including factors discussed in the Corporation's Management's Discussion and Analysis section of the Corporation's 2004 Annual Report. To learn more about Stelco and its businesses, please refer to our Web site at www.stelco.ca. %SEDAR: 00001549E