KIEV, Oct. 30 - Duferco and Ukraine's Industrial Union of Donbas (IUD) have reached agreement to ship up to 1.4 million tons of steel slabs annually to Chicago-based Esmark over a period of six years with a possible extension, the companies said in a joint announcement.

"We are very pleased to announce this arrangement with Duferco/ISD, two of the world's most respected steelmakers and leading providers of steel slabs to the North American market," said James P. Bouchard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Esmark. "This agreement further strengthens Esmark's strong domestic and international partnerships. Duferco/ISD are committed to providing Esmark with a low-cost supply of slabs that we believe could be used to restructure the cost structure of Wheeling-Pitt in the event of a combination with Esmark, the press release reads.