ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For fiscal year ended December 31, 2000
OR

For the transition period from ______ to ______.

Commission File Number: 1-8944
CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1100 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-2589
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (216) 694-5700

SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT:

SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE ACT: NONE

      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. YES  X    NO __

      Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of the Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [ X ]

      As of January 31, 2001, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the closing price of $16.30 per share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange - Composite Index was $156,814,346 (excluded from this figure is the voting stock beneficially owned by the registrant’s officers and directors).

      The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s $1.00 par value common stock was 10,128,796 as of January 31, 2001.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

1.

Portions of registrant’s Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held May 8, 2001 are incorporated by reference into Part III.

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PART I

ITEMS 1 AND 2. BUSINESS AND PROPERTIES.

INTRODUCTION

      ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Inc (including its consolidated subsidiaries, the “Company”) is the successor to business enterprises whose beginnings can be traced to earlier than 1850. The Company’s headquarters are at 1100 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-2589, and its telephone number is (216) 694-5700.

BUSINESS

      The Company has two business segments offering differing iron products and services to the steel industry, with iron ore being the Company’s dominant segment and ferrous metallics being the other segment. The ferrous metallics segment consists of a hot briquetted iron venture project located in Trinidad and Tobago and other developmental activities. The Company is pursuing additional investment opportunities, domestically and internationally, to broaden its scope as a supplier of iron units to the steel industry, including investments in iron ore pellet or ferrous metallics facilities.

Iron Ore

      The Company owns, directly or indirectly, three major iron ore operating subsidiaries, The ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Iron Company (“CCIC”), Cliffs Mining Company (“CMC”) and Northshore Mining Company (“Northshore”). CCIC and CMC hold interests in various independent iron ore mining ventures (“mining ventures”) and act as managing agents. The operations of Northshore are entirely owned by the Company. Collectively, CCIC, CMC and Northshore manage and own interests in mines; sell iron ore pellets; control, develop, and lease reserves to mine owners; and provide ancillary services to the mines. The operations of each mine are independent of the other mines. Iron ore production activities are conducted in the United States and Canada. Iron ore is marketed by the subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

      For information on the iron ore business, including royalties and management fees for the years 1998-2000, see Note 2 in the Notes to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2000.

      For information concerning operations of the Company, see material under the heading “Summary of Financial and Other Statistical Data” for the year ended December 31, 2000.

      CCIC owns or holds long-term leasehold interests in active North American properties containing an estimated 1.5 billion tons of crude iron ore reserves (approximately 473 million tons of equivalent standard iron ore pellets). CCIC, CMC and Northshore manage and own equity interests in five active mines in North America with a total rated annual capacity of 34.1 million tons (see Table on page 4).

      CCIC, CMC and Northshore’s United States properties include two active open-pit mines and pellet plants on the Marquette Range of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and two active open-pit mines and pellet plants on the Mesabi Range in Minnesota. Two railroads, one of which is 99.5% owned by a subsidiary of the Company, link the Marquette Range with Lake Michigan at the loading port of Escanaba and with Lake Superior at the loading port of Marquette. From the Mesabi Range, pellets are transported by rail to a shiploading port at Superior, Wisconsin. At Northshore, crude ore is shipped by rail from the mine to processing facilities at Silver Bay, Minnesota, also the upper lakes port of shipment. In addition, in Canada, there is an open-pit mine and concentrator at Wabush, Labrador, Newfoundland and a pellet plant and dock facility at Pointe Noire, Quebec. At Wabush Mines, concentrates are shipped by rail from the Scully Mine at Wabush to Pointe Noire where they are pelletized for shipment via vessel to Canada, United States and Europe or shipped as concentrates for sinter feed to Europe.

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      CCIC leases or subleases its reserves to certain mining ventures which pay royalties to CCIC on such reserves based on the tonnage and the iron content of iron ore produced. The royalty rates on leased or subleased reserves are subject to periodic adjustments based on changes in the Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price index for all commodities or on certain iron ore and steel price indices. The mining ventures, include as participants CCIC or CMC and steel producers (who are “participants” either directly or through subsidiaries).

      CCIC and CMC, pursuant to management agreements with the participants having operating interests in the mining ventures, manage the operation of iron ore mines and concentrating and pelletizing plants to produce iron ore pellets for steel producers. CCIC and CMC are reimbursed by the participants of the mining ventures for substantially all expenses incurred by CCIC and CMC in operating the mines and mining ventures. In addition, CCIC and CMC are paid management fees based on the tonnage of iron ore produced. A substantial portion of such fees is subject to escalation adjustments in a manner similar to the royalty adjustments.

      With respect to the active mines in which CCIC and CMC have an equity interest, such interests range from 15% to 40% (see Table on page 4). Pursuant to certain operating agreements at each mine, each participant is generally obligated to take its share of production for its own use. CCIC and CMC’s share of production is resold to steel manufacturers pursuant to multi-year contracts, usually with price adjustment provisions, or one-year contracts. Pursuant to operating agreements at each mine, each participant is entitled to nominate the amount of iron ore which will be produced for its account for that year. During the year, such nomination generally may be increased (subject to capacity availability) or decreased (subject to certain minimum production levels) by a specified amount. During 2000, the North American mines produced 41 million tons of iron ore compared to 36.2 million tons in 1999 of which the Company’s share was 11.8 million tons versus 8.8 million tons in 1999. The increase in 2000 reflects the production curtailments in 1999 which were undertaken to reduce inventory levels because of lower Company sales volume. The Company expects production at its five active mines in 2001 to be significantly below the combined 34.1 million capacity, with production curtailments announced at the Northshore and Hibbing mines. Additional production decreases could be undertaken to further address the Company’s sales volume uncertainty, planned reduction of the Company’s 3.3 million tons pellet inventory at December 31, 2000, and potential steel company participants' pellet requirements.

      Cliffs Minnesota Minerals Company, a subsidiary of the Company, owns an iron ore operation (Northshore) and power plant (Silver Bay Power Company) in Minnesota with 4.3 million annual tons of active capacity for production of standard and flux pellets (equivalent to 4.8 million tons of standard pellet capacity), supported by a 115 megawatt power generation plant, and an estimated 1.1 billion tons of magnetite crude iron ore reserves (approximately 346 million tons of equivalent standard iron ore pellets) leased mainly from the Mesabi Trust. Production in 2000 was 4.3 million tons of standard and flux pellets.

      In 1998, Acme Metals Incorporated and its wholly-owned subsidiary Acme Steel Company (“Acme”) petitioned for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Acme is a partner in the Company’s managed Wabush Mines and the Company has a multi-year pellet sales contract to supply Acme iron ore pellets. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, the Company had a receivable from Acme of $1.2 million, which has been fully provided. Since Acme’s bankruptcy filing, Acme has continued its ongoing commercial relationship with Wabush Mines and the Company. Pellet sales by the Company to Acme in 2000 represented 3% of the Company’s total sales volume.

      On November 16, 2000, Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation (“Wheeling-Pittsburgh”) filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Prior to Wheeling-Pittsburgh’s filing in bankruptcy, the Company exercised its rights under agreements with Wheeling-Pittsburgh to acquire Wheeling-Pittsburgh’s 12.4375% indirect interest in Empire Iron Mining Partnership (“Empire”). The acquisition of Wheeling-Pittsburgh’s interest in Empire increased the Company’s ownership share to 35% and its share of production capacity in Empire from 1.8 million tons to 2.8 million tons. Subsequent to the filing, Wheeling-Pittsburgh has requested an accounting for the acquisition transaction. At the time of the

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filing, the Company did not have a term sales contract with Wheeling-Pittsburgh and the Company’s trade receivable exposure was negligible.

      On December 29, 2000, The LTV Corporation (“LTV”) filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. A wholly-owned subsidiary of LTV is a 25 percent partner in the Company-managed Empire Mine in Michigan. Since the bankruptcy filing, LTV has remained current with its obligations in Empire. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, LTV owed the Company approximately $2.3 million relating to the Company’s management of LTV Steel Mining Company (“LTVSMC”) Mine in Minnesota, which amount the Company has reserved. In May, 2000, LTV had announced its intention to close LTVSMC in mid-2001, and later the intended closing date was advanced to February 22, 2001. Subsequent to the bankruptcy filing, LTV ceased operations at LTVSMC on January 5, 2001, more than a month ahead of schedule, due to conditions in the steel market and cost reduction efforts associated with the bankruptcy filing.

      Following is a table of production, current defined capacity, and implied exhaustion dates for the iron ore mines currently managed or owned by CCIC, CMC and Northshore. The exhaustion dates are based on estimated mineral reserves and full production rates, which could be affected, among other things, by future industry conditions, geological conditions, and ongoing mine planning. Maintenance of effective production capacity or implied exhaustion dates could require increases in capital and development expenditures. Alternatively, changes in economic conditions or the expected quality of ore reserves could decrease capacity or accelerate exhaustion dates. Technological progress could alleviate such factors or increase capacity or mine life.

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      With respect to the Empire Mine, CCIC owns directly approximately one-half of the remaining mineral reserves and leases the balance of the reserves from their owners; with respect to the Tilden Mine, CCIC owns all of the mineral reserves; with respect to the Hibbing Mine, Wabush Mines and Northshore Mine, all mineral reserves are owned by others and leased or subleased directly to those mines.

      Each of the mines contains crushing, concentrating, and pelletizing facilities. The Empire Iron Mining Partnership facilities were constructed beginning in 1962 and expanded in 1966, 1974 and 1980 with a total cost of approximately $367 million; the Tilden Mine facilities were constructed beginning in 1972, expanded in 1979 and modified in 1988 with a total cost of approximately $523 million; the Hibbing Taconite Joint Venture facilities were constructed beginning in 1973 and expanded in 1979 with a total cost of approximately $302 million; the Northshore Mining Company facilities were constructed beginning in 1951, expanded in 1963 and significantly modified in 1979 with a total cost estimated in excess of $500 million; and the Wabush Mines facilities were constructed beginning in 1962 with a total cost of approximately $103 million. The Company believes the facilities at each site are in satisfactory condition. However, the older facilities require more capital and maintenance expenditures on an ongoing basis.

      Production and Sales Information. The Company’s sales are subject to, or influenced by, seasonal factors in the first quarter of the year, as the shipments and sale of iron ore are restricted by weather conditions.

      The Company’s managed capacity is approximately 34.1 million tons, or 41% of total pellet capacity in North America, and the Company’s annual North American pellet sales capacity in 2000 was 11.8 million tons. In 2000, the Company produced 11.8 million tons of pellets in North America for its own account.

      In 2000, the Company produced 29.2 million gross tons of iron ore (including 7.8 million tons produced at LTVSMC which ceased operations on January 5, 2001) in the United States and Canada for participants other than the Company. The share of participants having the five largest amounts, Algoma Steel Company, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Ispat Inland Inc., LTV Steel Company and Stelco Inc., aggregated 26.2 million gross tons, or 90%. The largest such participant accounted for 33% of such production.

      During 2000, the Company made sales of iron ore and pellets, which were produced for its own account or purchased from others, to 14 U.S., Canadian and European iron and steel manufacturing companies. No major multi-year sales contracts are due to expire before December 31, 2002. In 2000, Weirton Steel Company, AK Steel Company, and Rouge Steel Company, directly and indirectly accounted for 17%, 14%, and 13%, respectively, of total revenues.

      In May 2000, the Company negotiated a ten-year pellet sales agreement with LTV to supply LTV with the majority of its pellet requirements. Sales over the 10-year contract terms could total more than 50 million tons if LTV continues to produce at or near current levels and performs under the contract terms. To date in the bankruptcy proceeding, LTV has neither affirmed nor rejected the agreement. Sales under the contract were less than .2 million tons in 2000; expected sales in 2001 will be impacted by the liquidation of LTVSMC’s remaining pellet inventory and business conditions. In May, 2000, LTV granted the Company an exclusive option to purchase the LTVSMC assets in exchange for assumption of environmental and reclamation obligations and other consideration at LTVSMC. The Company has until March 31, 2001 to exercise the option. The Company does not believe iron ore pellets can be produced at the LTVSMC Mine economically, but is investigating whether alternative uses or the disposition of the assets would be advantageous.

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      Rail Transportation. The Company, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, owns a 99.5% stock interest in Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad Company. The railroad operates approximately 49 miles of track in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, principally to haul iron ore from the Empire and Tilden Mines to Lake Superior at Marquette, Michigan, where the railroad has an ore loading dock, or to interchange points with another railroad for delivery to Lake Michigan at Escanaba, Michigan. In 2000, 81% of the railroad’s revenues were derived from hauling iron ore and pellets and other services in connection with mining operations managed by CCIC. The railroad’s rates are subject to regulation by the Surface Transportation Board of the Department of Transportation.

Ferrous Metallics

      Cliffs and Associates Limited (“CAL”), a venture in Trinidad and Tobago, completed construction in April, 1999 of a facility designed to produce premium quality hot-briquetted iron (“HBI”) to be marketed to the steel industry. The HBI facility has produced sufficient reduced iron to demonstrate that the Circored(R) process technology will yield a product that meets the quality specifications that were established, including high metalization rates. At design, the facility is expected to produce 500,000 metric tons annually. However, sustained levels of briquette production could not be achieved, and in May, 2000, start-up activities were temporarily suspended in order to evaluate plant reliability and make modifications to portions of the plant. The plant was restarted on July 1, 2000 to test the functionality and reliability of the initial modifications and to gain additional operating experience. Results of this five-week test were positive. Although a small quantity of commercial grade briquettes was produced, replacing the discharge system was necessary to improve material flow and obtain consistent feed of HBI to the briquetting machines. The modifications are targeted for completion in the first quarter of 2001.

      On July 28, 2000, LTV announced a decision to withdraw its financial support for CAL. On November 20, 2000, a subsidiary of the Company and Lurgi Metallurgie GmbH (“Lurgi”) completed the acquisition of LTV’s 46.5 percent interest in CAL for $2 million (Company share —$1.7 million) and additional future payments, that could total $30 million through 2020 depending on CAL’s production, sales volume and price realizations. Upon acquisition, the Company’s ownership in CAL increased to 86.9 percent (previously 46.5 percent). The Company has consolidated CAL for financial reporting purposes since the acquisition.

      Subsequent to LTV’s withdrawal of financial support for CAL in late July, 2000, it was estimated that $45 million of additional investment (of which $16.6 million has been invested through December 31, 2000) would be required for CAL to attain sustained production and generate positive cash flow, consisting of capital expenditures of $15 million, working capital of $15 million, and cash start-up costs of $15 million. Lurgi has agreed to fund a disproportionate share of the capital expenditures through in kind contribution of the new discharge system, which increases its ownership. As a result, the Company’s ownership in CAL at December 31, 2000 decreased to 84.4 percent. If the full $45 million is required, the Company’s additional investment will be $33 million (of which $11.6 million has been funded at December 31, 2000), and the Company will own approximately 82.4 percent of CAL.

      The primary business risk faced by the Company in ferrous metallics is the as yet undemonstrated capability of the Trinidad facility to produce a sustained quantity of commercial grade HBI at a cost level necessary to achieve profitable operations given the market for HBI.

CREDIT AGREEMENT AND SENIOR NOTES

      In 1995, the Company entered into a Credit Agreement with Chemical Bank (now Chase Manhattan Bank), as Agent for a six-bank lending group, pursuant to which the Company may borrow up to $100 million as revolving loans. The Credit Agreement was amended at various times to reduce

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interest rates and fees and extend the expiration date to May 31, 2003. Interest on borrowings are based on various interest rates as defined in the Credit Agreement and as selected by the Company pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement. On January 8, 2001, the Company borrowed $65 million on the facility for general operating and working capital requirements. The loan interest rate, based on the LIBOR rate plus a premium, is fixed at 6.1% through July 8, 2001. Loan repayment timing is subject to future uncertainty, but the Company expects to repay the loan by the end of 2001.

      In 1995, the Company placed privately with a group of institutional lenders $70 million 7% Senior Notes, due December 15, 2005.

COMPETITION

      The iron ore mines, which the Company’s subsidiaries operate in North America and Canada, produce various grades of iron ore which are marketed in the United States, Canada, and Europe. In North America, the Company is in competition with several iron ore producers, including Iron Ore Company of Canada, Quebec Cartier Mining Company, and Evtac Mining Company, as well as other steel companies which own interests in iron ore mines and/or have excess iron ore purchase commitments. Significant amounts of iron ore have, since the early 1980s, been shipped to the United States from Venezuela and Brazil in competition with iron ore produced by the Company.

      Other competitive forces have effectively become large factors in the iron ore business. With respect to a significant portion of steelmaking in North America, electric furnaces built by “minimills” have replaced the use of iron ore pellets with scrap metal in the steelmaking process. Imported steel slabs also replace the use of iron ore pellets in producing finished steel products. Imported steel produced from iron ore supplied by international competitors also effectively competes with the Company’s iron ore pellets. In 2000, imported steel, and particularly imported slabs, had a significant impact on steelmaking in the United States, which has adversely affected the demand for iron ore pellets.

      The HBI from the CAL venture in Trinidad, and Tobago, in which the Company has a controlling interest, is in competition with other direct reduced iron products (produced both domestically and internationally), other scrap substitutes, premium grade scrap and pig iron.

      Competition among the sellers of iron units is predicated upon the usual competitive factors of price, availability of supply, product performance, service and cost to the consumer.

ENVIRONMENT, EMPLOYEES, ENERGY, AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

      Environment. In the construction of the Company’s facilities and in its operating arrangements, substantial costs have been incurred and will be incurred to avoid undue effect on the environment. The Company’s commitment to environmental preservation resulted in North American capital expenditures of $ 4.1 million in 1999 and $5.6 million in 2000. It is estimated that approximately $2.7 million will be spent in 2001 for environmental control facilities.

      The Company received notice in 1983 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“U.S. EPA”) that the Company is a potentially responsible party with respect to the Cliffs-Dow Superfund Site, located in the Upper Peninsula of the State of Michigan, which is not related to the Company’s iron ore mining business. The Cliffs-Dow site was used prior to 1973 for the disposal of wastes from charcoal production by a joint venture of the Company, the Dow Chemical Company and afterward by a successor in interest, Georgia-Pacific Corporation. The Company and other potentially responsible parties voluntarily participated in the preparation of a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study with respect to the Cliffs-Dow site, which concluded with the publication by the U.S. EPA of a Record of Decision dated September 27, 1989 setting forth the selected remedial action plan adopted by the U.S. EPA for the

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Cliffs-Dow site. The Company and other potentially responsible parties have completed remedial action satisfactory to the U.S. EPA at an approximate cost of $8 million, of which the Company’s share was $1.7 million. The Cliffs-Dow site was delisted by the U.S. EPA from the Superfund Site list in the latter part of year 2000. Settlement of U.S. EPA’s oversight cost recovery claim of $.4 million (Company’s share $.1 million) is pending. The Company believes it has a right to continued contribution from the other potentially responsible parties for the costs of any further remedial action which may be required at the Cliffs-Dow site.

      The Company has sufficient financial reserves at December 31, 2000 to provide for its expected share of the cost of the remedial actions at the above mentioned site. For additional information on the Company’s environmental matters, see Note 4 in the Notes to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2000.

      Generally, various legislative bodies and federal and state agencies are continually promulgating numerous new laws and regulations affecting the Company, its customers, and its suppliers in many areas, including waste discharge and disposal; hazardous classification of materials, products, and ingredients; air and water discharges; and many other matters. Although the Company believes that its environmental policies and practices are sound and does not expect a material adverse effect of any current laws or regulations, it cannot predict the collective adverse impact of the rapidly expanding body of laws and regulations.

      Employees. As of December 31, 2000, CCIC and CMC and the North American independent mining ventures had 4,636 employees (including 1,141 employed by LTVSMC, which ceased operations on January 5, 2001), of which 3,816 were hourly employees (including 993 employed by LTVSMC). Hourly employees are represented by the United Steelworkers of America (“United Steelworkers”) under collective bargaining agreements. In August 1999, five-year labor agreements were ratified between the Hibbing Taconite, Tilden and Empire Mines and the United Steelworkers covering the period to August 1, 2004. Also, in 1999, an agreement was entered into with the United Steelworkers covering the employees of Wabush Mines, which agreement expires on March 1, 2004.

      As of December 31, 2000, Northshore had 522 salaried employees, none of whom are represented by a union; Cliffs Reduced Iron Management Company had 2 salaried employees and CAL had 68 salaried employees; ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Inc and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Cliffs Mining Services Company, had 252 salaried executive, managerial, administrative and technical employees; and the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad had 165 employees.

      Energy. The Empire and Tilden Mines have electric power supply contracts with Wisconsin Electric Power Company which are effective through 2007. The power supply contracts include an energy price cap and certain power curtailment features.

      Electric power for Hibbing Taconite is supplied by Minnesota Power, Inc., under an agreement which continues to December, 2008. The Agreement includes certain take-or-pay commitments and an energy price cap.

      LTVSMC generated the majority of its requirements prior to closure.

      Silver Bay Power Company, an indirect subsidiary of the Company, provides the majority of Northshore’s energy requirements, has an interconnection agreement with Minnesota Power, Inc. for backup power and sells 40 megawatts of excess power capacity to Northern States Power Company. The contract with Northern States Power extends to the year 2011. In 2000, the interconnection agreement with Minnesota Power, Inc. was extended to April 30, 2001 to provide additional backup power and other cost-effective services.

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      Wabush Mines owns a portion of the Twin Falls Hydro Generation facility which provides power for Wabush’s mining operations in Newfoundland. A twenty year agreement with Newfoundland Power, which agreement continues until December 31, 2014, allows an interchange of water rights in return for the power needs for Wabush’s mining operations. The Wabush pelletizing operations in Quebec are served by Quebec Hydro on an annual contract.

      The Company has contracts providing for the transport of natural gas for its United States iron ore operations. The Empire and Tilden Mines have the capability of burning natural gas, coal, or, to a lesser extent, oil. Wabush Mines has the capability of burning oil and coke breeze. Hibbing Taconite and Northshore have the capability of burning natural gas and oil. During 2000, the U.S. mines burned natural gas as their primary fuel; however, with rising natural gas prices, the pelletizing operations switched to alternate fuels when practicable. Wabush Mines used oil, supplemented with coke breeze.

      Significant increases in 2000 energy costs added almost $14 million to the Company’s cost of goods sold compared to 1999. Any substantial unmitigated interruption of energy supply could be materially adverse to the Company.

      Research and Development. The Company maintains a strong commitment to research and development with engineering staffs that are engaged in full-time research and development of new iron-bearing products and improvement of existing products with two research facilities, one located in Hibbing, Minnesota, and one in Ishpeming, Michigan.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

      The Company and certain of its subsidiaries are involved in various claims and ordinary routine litigation incidental to their businesses, including claims relating to the exposure of asbestos and silica to seamen who sailed on the Great Lakes vessels formerly owned and operated by subsidiaries of the Company. The full impact of these claims and proceedings in the aggregate continues to be unknown. The Company continues to monitor its claims and litigation expense, but believes that resolution of currently pending claims and proceedings are unlikely in the aggregate to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position.

      As reported in the Company’s Form 10-Q for Quarter ended June 30, 2000, in April, 2000, Northshore, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, received a notice of violation from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) alleging violations of Northshore’s 1996 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System/State Disposal System Permit concerning its disposal practices relating to ash and fines from its power plant. Among other things, the Permit required that before March 31, 2000, Northshore (i) cease utilizing a temporary landfill at its Mile Post 7 Tailings Basin area for disposal of fly ash, bottom ash, and pyritic coal fines from Northshore’s power plant and (ii) remove all ash and fines (approximately 93,000 cubic yards) into a permitted industrial waste disposal facility. On March 31, 2000, Northshore ceased using the temporary landfill for currently-generated ash and fines. On July 10, 2000, Northshore received a solid waste permit from the MPCA for a proposed industrial solid waste land disposal facility to be constructed elsewhere on Northshore property. Northshore has now completed construction of this facility and is operating same. The MPCA has provided Northshore a draft Stipulation Agreement incorporating the violations relating to the fly ash and fines disposal and removal, together with other non-material water violations, and referencing potential civil penalties in the amount of approximately $370,000 and other non-monetary requirements regarding such violations, which Agreement is presently under negotiation. While the outcome of negotiations is uncertain, Northshore desires to settle these matters and is endeavoring to achieve a reduction in the amount of the proposed fine. Subsequent to the most recent negotiating session, two events have occurred which could alter, adversely to Northshore, the MPCA’s position regarding the amount of fines to be paid by Northshore under the Stipulation Agreement, though the MPCA has not yet indicated its position with respect to these

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events: (a) it was discovered that Northshore’s estimate of the volume of ash and fines in the temporary landfill (see ii above) was too low by approximately 50,000 cubic yards; and (b) on October 22, 2000 there was a rupture in Northshore’s tailings pipeline as a consequence of which approximately 14,000 tons or 10,200 cubic yards of tailings were spilled, which required significant environmental clean-up activities. The MPCA has indicated that it desires to cover in the Stipulation Agreement any environmental violations resulting from the spill once its investigation is complete. The extent to which the MPCA may seek additional fines or other remedies as a result of these two events is currently unknown.

ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

None.

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EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

      There is no family relationship between any of the executive officers of the Company, or between any of such executive officers and any of the Directors of the Company. Officers are elected to serve until successors have been elected. All of the above-named executive officers of the Company were elected effective on the effective dates listed below for each such officer.

      The business experience of the persons named above for the last five years is as follows:

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PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANTS’ COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.

Stock Exchange Information

Stock Exchange Information for ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Inc common shares (ticker symbol CLF) is the New York Stock Exchange. The shares are also listed on the Chicago Stock Exchange.

Common Share Price Performance And Dividends

Sales of Unregistered Securities

During the year 2000, pursuant to the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Inc Voluntary Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan (“VNQDC Plan”), the Company sold a total of 26,003 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Inc (“Common Shares”) for cash to the Trustee of the Trust maintained under the VNQDC Plan. The sale of 21,364 Common Shares, for an aggregate consideration of $489,983.34, was previously reported on the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ending September 30, 2000. This sale was made in reliance on Rule 506 of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”) pursuant to elections made by three executive officers under the VNQDC Plan. The sale of the remaining 4,639 Common Shares for an aggregate consideration of $116,151.34 was made to four managerial employees under Section 4(2) of the 1933 Act.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.

Summary of Financial and Other Statistical Data
ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Inc and Consolidated Subsidiaries

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