Paper: CSN, Gerdau could go for Sparrows Point

Brazilian steelmakers CSN (NYSE: SID) and Gerdau (NYSE: GGB) are "natural" candidates to participate in the sale process of an Arcelor Mittal steel mill in the US, business daily Valor Econômico reported. The world's largest steelmaker has to sell its Sparrows Point mill to meet demands from antitrust authorities, resulting from last year's Arcelor acquisition by Mittal Steel. "We will analyze the [sale] process and decide if we will participate," the paper quoted Gerdau CEO André Bier Gerdau Johannpeter as saying. Meanwhile, CSN has made no decision as yet on a possible asset acquisition. "We are analyzing any and all investment possibilities in flat steel in the US and Europe," CSN CFO Otávio Lazcano was reported as saying by the paper. Apart from Brazil, Gerdau has operations in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Spain and the US, and CSN in Portugal and the US.