ALERIS BREAKS GROUND FOR $300 MILLION GREENFIELD ROLLING MILL IN CHINA

BEACHWOOD, Ohio, U.S.A. – January 18, 2011 – Aleris International, Inc. today broke ground for the construction of a state-of-the-art aluminum rolling mill in China’s Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province that will produce semi-finished rolled aluminum products in a joint venture with Zhenjiang Dingsheng Aluminum Industries Joint-Stock Co., Ltd.  Aleris will own an 81 percent equity interest in the venture, named Aleris Dingsheng Aluminum (Zhenjiang) Co., Ltd. 

The factory will produce rolled aluminum plate, heat-treated plate and non-heat treated plate for the aerospace, general engineering, tooling and molding, petrochemical and transportation industries.  The company said that the operation also has the potential to manufacture product for automotive applications.

“This groundbreaking is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to serving customers in China,” said Steven J. Demetriou, Aleris chairman and chief executive officer.  “We appreciate and value the collaboration with our partner, Dingsheng, and the support of Jiangsu Province and the City of Zhenjiang, which have helped make this new industrial venture possible.  We look forward to a long and productive relationship with all involved.”

The Aleris-Dingsheng partnership will build and operate one of the most technologically advanced rolling mills in the world. The potential rolling force of this hot mill qualifies it as the world’s strongest, similar to the one at Aleris’s Koblenz, Germany facility.  Additionally, various advanced commercial plate products developed by Aleris will be produced at the Zhenjiang facility, providing a range of alloy options for Chinese customers.  

The mill is designed for an eventual capacity of approximately 250,000 metric tons, with approximately 100,000 square meters initially under roof, on more than 280,000 square meters of land.  Construction is expected to be completed within two years, with product shipping to customers by the fourth quarter of 2012. 

About Aleris

Aleris International, Inc. is a privately-held, global leader in aluminum rolled products and extrusions, aluminum recycling and specification alloy production.  Headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, U.S.A., the company operates more than 42 production facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia.  For more information, visit www.aleris.com.

Aleris has no obligation under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or other laws to publicly disclose financial or other information regarding its business.  Aleris may publicly disclose certain information from time to time, in its sole discretion.  Aleris may also determine not to publicly disclose any information, in its sole discretion, notwithstanding prior disclosures or any pattern of prior disclosures.

The information disclosed in this press release is believed by Aleris to be accurate as of the date hereof.  Aleris expressly disclaims any duty to update the information contained in this press release.  Persons engaging in any transactions with Aleris or in Aleris’s securities are cautioned that there may exist other material information regarding Aleris that is not publicly available.

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