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DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional “CSN”, also referred to as “Company”, is a publicly held company incorporated on April 9, 1941, under the laws of the Federative Republic of Brazil (Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, its subsidiaries, joint ventures, joint operations and associates are collectively referred to herein as the "Group”). The Company’s registered office is located in São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

CSN is listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (B3 S.A.- Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

The Group's main operating activities are divided into five (5) segments as follows:

Steel:

The Company’s main industrial facility is the Presidente Vargas Steelworks (“UPV”), located in the city of Volta Redonda, State of Rio de Janeiro. This segment consolidates all operations related to the production, distribution and sale of flat steel, long steel, metallic containers, and galvanized steel. In addition to the facilities in Brazil, CSN has commercial operations in the United States and operations in Portugal and Germany to achieve markets and providing excellent services for final consumers. Its steel is used in home appliances, civil construction, and automobile industries.

Mining:

The production of iron ore is developed in the cities of Congonhas, Ouro Preto and Belo Vale, State of Minas Gerais – by subsidiary CSN Mineração.

Iron ore is sold basically in the international market, especially in Europe and Asia. The prices charged in these markets are historically cyclical and subject to significant fluctuations over short periods of time, driven by several factors related to global demand, strategies adopted by the major steel producers, and the foreign exchange rate. All these factors are beyond the Company’s control. The ore transportation is carried out through the Terminal de Carvão e Minérios from the Itaguai Port– (“TECAR”), a solid bulk terminal, one of the four terminals that comprise the Itaguai Port, located in the State of Rio de Janeiro. Imports of coal and coke are also carried out through this terminal by provision of services by CSN Mineração to CSN. The Company´s mining activities also comprises of tin exploitation, which is based in the State of Rondônia, to supply the needs of UPV. The excess of raw material is sold to subsidiaries and third parties.

As a pioneer in the use of technologies that result in the possibility of stacking the tailings generated in the iron ore production process, the Company has had its iron ore production since January 2020, 100% independent of tailings dams. After significant investments in recent years to raise the level of reliability, mischaracterization and dry stacking, the Company has moved on to a scenario in which 100% of its waste goes through a dry filtration process and is disposed of in geotechnically controlled batteries, areas exclusively destined for stacking. Approximately R$250 million were invested in the two tailings filtration plants that have a combined total filtration capacity of 9 million tons per year.

Because of these measures, the decommissioning of the dams is the natural way of processing dry waste.

All our mining dams are positively certified and comply with the environmental legislation in force.

Cements

CSN entered the cement production market in 2009, catapulted by the synergy between this activity and CSN's current business. Beside the UPV facilities, in Volta Redonda / RJ, the Company installed a new business unit, which produces CP-III type cement using the slag produced by the UPV’s own blast furnaces. It also explores limestone and dolomite at the Arcos / MG unit, to meet the needs of the UPV and the cement plant. Additionally, in Arcos / MG, the clinker production operation is located. As a result, the Company is self-sufficient in the production of cement, with an installed capacity of 4.7 million tons per year.

On January 31, 2021, the Company concluded the drop down of the cement segment and, accordingly, all assets and liabilities related to the cement business were transferred from CSN to its subsidiary recently incorporated CSN Cimentos S.A. (“CSN Cimentos”) see the note 11.c.

On August 31, 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of control of Elizabeth Cimentos S.A. ("Elizabeth Cimentos") and Elizabeth Mineração S.A. ("Elizabeth Mineração"), with operations in the Northeast region, especially in Paraíba and Pernambuco, under the terms of the Investment Agreement, Purchase and Sale of Quotas, Shares and Other Covenants entered into on June 29, 2021, as detailed in note 4 - Business Combination. With the closing of this transaction, CSN Cimentos now has a total capacity of 6 million tons per year.

On September 9, 2021, a Purchase and Sale Agreement was signed for the acquisition of 100% of LafargeHolcim's operations in Brazil. With the closing of the transaction, CSN Cimentos will have a total capacity of 16.3 million tons per year. The deal was valued at US$1.025 billion, and the closing of the operation, which involves cash payment, is subject to approval by the competition authority. On the same date, the Company deposited in an Escrow Account with Banco Santander, the amount of US$50 million, equivalent to R$263.7 million, as part of the negotiations for the acquisition of LafargeHolcim.

Logistics:

Railroads:

CSN has interests in three railroad companies: MRS Logística S.A., which manages the former Southeast Railway System of Rede Ferroviária Federal S.A (“RFFSA”)., Transnordestina Logística S.A. (“TLSA”) and FTL - Ferrovia Transnordestina Logística S.A. (“FTL”), which the latter two hold the concession to operate the former Northeast Railway System of RFFSA, in the States of Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Sergipe, with TLSA being responsible for the rail links of Eliseu Martins – Trindade, Trindade – Salgueiro, Salgueiro – Porto Suape, Salgueiro – Missão Velha and Missão Velha - Pecém (Railway System II), under construction, and FTL being responsible for the rail links of São Luis - Altos, Altos - Fortaleza, Fortaleza – Souza, Souza- Recife/Jorge Lins, Recife/Jorge Lins – Salgueiro, Jorge Lins – Propriá, Paula Cavalcanti – Cabedelo, Itabaiana - Macau (Railway System I).

Ports:

The Company operates in the State of Rio de Janeiro, by means of its subsidiary Sepetiba Tecon S.A., operates the Container Terminal (“TECON”) and by means of its subsidiary CSN Mineração, the TECAR, both located at the Itaguaí Port. Established in the harbor of Sepetiba, the mentioned port has a privileged highway, railroad, and maritime access.

TECON is responsible for the shipments of CSN´s steel products, movement and storage of containers, vehicles, general cargo, among other products; and TECAR performs the operational activities of loading and unloading of solid bulk ships, storage and distribution (road and rail) of coal, coke, zinc concentrate, sulfur, iron ore and other bulk, intended for the seaborne market, for our own operation and for third parties.

Energy:

Since the energy supply is fundamental in CSN´s production process, the Company owns and operates facilities to generate electric power for guaranteeing its self-sufficiency.

GOING CONCERN

The Management understands that the Company has adequate resources to continue its operations. Accordingly, the Company's financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, have been prepared on a basis of operational continuity.