ArcelorMittal today announced it expects to write down the goodwill in its European businesses by approximately US$4.3bn.

This follows the completion of its yearly goodwill impairment test, as required by IFRS accounting standards.

The write down will take the form of a non-cash impairment charge that will be recorded in the fourth quarter of 2012. The impairment is due to a weaker macro economic and market environment in Europe where apparent steel demand has fallen by approximately 8% this year, bringing the cumulative demand decline to approximately 29% since 2007.  This weaker demand environment, and expectations that it will persist over the near and medium term, led to a downward revision of cash flow expectations underlying the valuation of the European businesses to which goodwill has been allocated. This is in contrast to the US, where apparent steel consumption is up almost 8% this year and is now approximately 10% lower than it was in 2007.

Key metrics such as net debt and ebitda, as well as compliance with debt covenants, are unaffected by this impairment.

About ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal is one of the world’s leading integrated steel and mining companies with a presence in 60 countries and primary steelmaking operations in 15 countries. It is the largest steel producer in Europe, among the largest in the Americas, and has a growing presence in Asia through its joint venture AM/NS India. ArcelorMittal sells its products to a diverse range of customers including the automotive, engineering, construction and machinery industries, and in 2024 generated revenues of $62.4 billion, produced 57.9 million metric tonnes of crude steel and, 42.4 million tonnes of iron ore. Our purpose is to produce smarter steels for people and planet. Steels made using innovative processes which use less energy, emit significantly less carbon and reduce costs. Steels that are cleaner, stronger and reusable. Steels for the renewable energy infrastructure that will support societies as they transform through this century. With steel at our core, our inventive people and an entrepreneurial culture at heart, we will support the world in making that change. ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).

http://corporate.arcelormittal.com/
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