UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 29, 2019
 
CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
 
 
 
 
Ohio
 
1-8944
 
34-1464672
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
 
(Commission File Number)
 
(IRS Employer Identification Number)
 
 
200 Public Square, Suite 3300
Cleveland, Ohio
 
 
 
44114-2315
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
 
 
 
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (216) 694-5700
 
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
o
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (Section 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Section 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o






Item 8.01.
Other Events.
Notes Offering
On April 29, 2019, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (the “Company”) announced that it intends to offer to sell $750 million aggregate principal amount of senior guaranteed notes (the “Notes”) in an offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”). This announcement was contained in a press release, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
On April 29, 2019, the Company announced that it had priced its private offering of $750 million aggregate principal amount of the Notes. The Notes will bear interest at an annual rate of 5.875%. The Company expects to close the offering of the Notes on May 13, 2019, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. This announcement was contained in a press release, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 99.2 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
This Current Report on Form 8-K does not constitute an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, the Notes or any other securities. The Notes will not be and have not been registered under the Securities Act, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements.

Item 9.01.
Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number
 
Description
 
 
 
Press release announcing senior guaranteed notes offering, dated April 29, 2019
 
Press release announcing pricing of senior guaranteed notes offering, dated April 29, 2019






SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC.
 
 
 
 
Date:
April 29, 2019
By:
/s/ James D. Graham
 
 
 
Name: James D. Graham
 
 
 
Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary





EXHIBIT 99.1
CLEVELANDCLIFFS.JPG


NEWS RELEASE
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Announces Proposed Offering of $750,000,000 Senior Unsecured Guaranteed Notes due 2027
CLEVELAND - April 29, 2019 - Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF) today announced that it intends to offer to sell, subject to market and other conditions, $750 million aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due 2027 (the “Notes”) in an offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”). The Notes will be guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the Company’s material direct and indirect wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes to redeem all of its outstanding 4.875% Senior Notes due 2021, to fund the $600 million tender offer for its 5.75% Senior Guaranteed notes due 2025, including fees and expenses related to the tender offer, and for other general corporate purposes.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The Notes and related guarantees are being offered only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on the exemption from registration set forth in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on the exemption from registration set forth in Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes and the related guarantees have not been registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration or an applicable exemption from the Securities Act and applicable state securities or blue sky laws and foreign securities laws.
About Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
Founded in 1847, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. is the largest and oldest independent iron ore mining company in the United States. We are a major supplier of iron ore pellets to the North American steel industry from our mines and pellet plants located in Michigan and Minnesota. By 2020, Cliffs expects to be the sole producer of hot briquetted iron (HBI) in the Great Lakes region with the development of its first production plant in Toledo, Ohio. Driven by the core values of safety, social, environmental and capital stewardship, our employees endeavor to provide all stakeholders with operating and financial transparency.





Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. As a general matter, forward-looking statements relate to anticipated trends and expectations rather than historical matters. Forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties and factors relating to Cliffs’ operations and business environment that are difficult to predict and may be beyond our control. Such uncertainties and factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no ongoing obligation, other than that imposed by law, to update these statements. Uncertainties and risk factors that could affect Cliffs’ future performance and cause results to differ from the forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to: uncertainty and weaknesses in global economic conditions, including downward pressure on prices caused by oversupply or imported products, reduced market demand and risks related to U.S. government actions with respect to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act (as amended by the Trade Act of 1974), the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and/or other trade agreements, treaties or policies; continued volatility of iron ore and steel prices and other trends, which may impact the price-adjustment calculations under our sales contracts; our ability to successfully diversify our product mix and add new customers beyond our traditional blast furnace clientele; our ability to cost-effectively achieve planned production rates or levels, including at our HBI plant; our ability to successfully identify and consummate any strategic investments or development projects, including our HBI plant; the impact of our customers reducing their steel production due to increased market share of steel produced using other methods or lighter-weight steel alternatives; our actual economic iron ore reserves or reductions in current mineral estimates, including whether any mineralized material qualifies as a reserve; the outcome of any contractual disputes with our customers, joint venture partners or significant energy, material or service providers or any other litigation or arbitration; problems or uncertainties with sales volume or mix, productivity, tons mined, transportation, mine-closure obligations, environmental liabilities, employee-benefit costs and other risks of the mining industry; impacts of existing and increasing governmental regulation and related costs and liabilities, including failure to receive or maintain required operating and environmental permits, approvals, modifications or other authorization of, or from, any governmental or regulatory entity and costs related to implementing improvements to ensure compliance with regulatory changes; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity, our level of indebtedness and the availability of capital could limit cash flow available to fund working capital, planned capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes or ongoing needs of our business; our ability to continue to pay cash dividends, and the amount and timing of any cash dividends; our ability to maintain appropriate relations with unions and employees; the ability of our customers, joint venture partners and third-party service providers to meet their obligations to us on a timely basis or at all; events or circumstances that could impair or adversely impact the viability of a mine and the carrying value of associated assets, as well as any resulting impairment charges; uncertainties associated with natural disasters, weather conditions, unanticipated geological conditions, supply or price of energy, equipment failures and other unexpected events; adverse changes in interest rates and tax laws; the potential existence of significant deficiencies or material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. For additional factors affecting the business of Cliffs, refer to Part I - Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and other filings filed with the SEC, including our Current Reports on Form 8-K. You are urged to carefully consider these risk factors.
Source: Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Patricia Persico
Director, Corporate Communications
(216) 694-5316
INVESTOR CONTACT:
Paul Finan
Director, Investor Relations
(216) 694-6544
###





EXHIBIT 99.2
CLEVELANDCLIFFS.JPG


NEWS RELEASE
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. Announces Pricing of $750,000,000 Senior Unsecured Guaranteed Notes due 2027
CLEVELAND - April 29, 2019 - Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF) announced today that it has priced $750 million aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due 2027 (the “Notes”) in an offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”). The Notes will bear interest at an annual rate of 5.875 percent and will be issued at a price of 96.125 percent of their principal amount. The Notes will be guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the Company’s material direct and indirect wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries. The offering is expected to close on May 13, 2019, subject to customary closing conditions.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes to redeem all of its outstanding 4.875% Senior Notes due 2021, to fund a tender offer for up to $600 million aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 5.75% Senior Guaranteed Notes due 2025,  including fees and expenses related to the tender offer, and for other general corporate purposes.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. The Notes and related guarantees are being offered only to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on the exemption from registration set forth in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and outside the United States, to non-U.S. persons in reliance on the exemption from registration set forth in Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes and the related guarantees have not been registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration or an applicable exemption from the Securities Act and applicable state securities or blue sky laws and foreign securities laws.
About Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
Founded in 1847, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. is the largest and oldest independent iron ore mining company in the United States. We are a major supplier of iron ore pellets to the North American steel industry from our mines and pellet plants located in Michigan and Minnesota. By 2020, Cliffs expects to be the sole producer of hot briquetted iron (HBI) in the Great Lakes region with the development of its first production plant in Toledo, Ohio. Driven by the core values of safety, social, environmental and capital stewardship, our employees endeavor to provide all stakeholders with operating and financial transparency.





Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. As a general matter, forward-looking statements relate to anticipated trends and expectations rather than historical matters. Forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties and factors relating to Cliffs’ operations and business environment that are difficult to predict and may be beyond our control. Such uncertainties and factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no ongoing obligation, other than that imposed by law, to update these statements. Uncertainties and risk factors that could affect Cliffs’ future performance and cause results to differ from the forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to: uncertainty and weaknesses in global economic conditions, including downward pressure on prices caused by oversupply or imported products, reduced market demand and risks related to U.S. government actions with respect to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act (as amended by the Trade Act of 1974), the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and/or other trade agreements, treaties or policies; continued volatility of iron ore and steel prices and other trends, which may impact the price-adjustment calculations under our sales contracts; our ability to successfully diversify our product mix and add new customers beyond our traditional blast furnace clientele; our ability to cost-effectively achieve planned production rates or levels, including at our HBI plant; our ability to successfully identify and consummate any strategic investments or development projects, including our HBI plant; the impact of our customers reducing their steel production due to increased market share of steel produced using other methods or lighter-weight steel alternatives; our actual economic iron ore reserves or reductions in current mineral estimates, including whether any mineralized material qualifies as a reserve; the outcome of any contractual disputes with our customers, joint venture partners or significant energy, material or service providers or any other litigation or arbitration; problems or uncertainties with sales volume or mix, productivity, tons mined, transportation, mine-closure obligations, environmental liabilities, employee-benefit costs and other risks of the mining industry; impacts of existing and increasing governmental regulation and related costs and liabilities, including failure to receive or maintain required operating and environmental permits, approvals, modifications or other authorization of, or from, any governmental or regulatory entity and costs related to implementing improvements to ensure compliance with regulatory changes; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity, our level of indebtedness and the availability of capital could limit cash flow available to fund working capital, planned capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes or ongoing needs of our business; our ability to continue to pay cash dividends, and the amount and timing of any cash dividends; our ability to maintain appropriate relations with unions and employees; the ability of our customers, joint venture partners and third-party service providers to meet their obligations to us on a timely basis or at all; events or circumstances that could impair or adversely impact the viability of a mine and the carrying value of associated assets, as well as any resulting impairment charges; uncertainties associated with natural disasters, weather conditions, unanticipated geological conditions, supply or price of energy, equipment failures and other unexpected events; adverse changes in interest rates and tax laws; the potential existence of significant deficiencies or material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. For additional factors affecting the business of Cliffs, refer to Part I - Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and other filings filed with the SEC, including our Current Reports on Form 8-K. You are urged to carefully consider these risk factors.
Source: Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Patricia Persico
Director, Corporate Communications
(216) 694-5316
INVESTOR CONTACT:
Paul Finan
Director, Investor Relations
(216) 694-6544
###