Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. Announces Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Limited's Shareholders Overwhelmingly Approve Plan of Arrangement

CLEVELAND, Feb. 25, 2011 /CNW/ -- Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) (Paris: CLF) today announced Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Limited's (TSX: CLM) shareholders overwhelmingly approved the plan of arrangement for Cliffs to acquire all of Consolidated Thompson's outstanding shares. At Consolidated Thompson's special shareholder meeting held today, approximately 76% of Consolidated Thompson's shareholders were represented in person or by proxy, and approximately 97% of these shares were voted in favor of approving the plan of arrangement. Under the plan of arrangement, Consolidated Thompson's shareholders will receive $17.25 Canadian dollars in cash for each common share outstanding.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101104/CLIFFSLOGO )

As previously announced, Cliffs has committed financing and available liquidity sufficient to fund the purchase price. Cliffs expects to arrange for permanent financing by accessing the capital markets. The acquisition is expected to close in early second quarter 2011. Closing is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary closing conditions, including obtaining the following regulatory approvals: Competition Act (Canada), Investment Canada Act, Canada Transportation Act, and China - Ministry of Commerce.

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About Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is an international mining and natural resources company. A member of the S&P 500 Index, we are the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America, a major supplier of direct-shipping lump and fines iron ore out of Australia and a significant producer of high and low volatile metallurgical coal. With core values of environmental and capital stewardship, our colleagues across the globe endeavor to provide all stakeholders operating and financial transparency as embodied in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. Our Company is organized through three geographic business units:

The North American business unit is comprised of six iron ore mines owned or managed in Michigan, Minnesota and Canada and six coal mines located in West Virginia and Alabama. The Asia Pacific business unit is comprised of two iron ore mining complexes in Western Australia and a 45% economic interest in a coking and thermal coal mine in Queensland, Australia. The Latin American business unit includes a 30% interest in the Amapa Project, an iron ore project in the state of Amapa in Brazil.

Other projects under development include a biomass production plant in Michigan and Ring of Fire chromite properties in Ontario, Canada. Over recent years, Cliffs has been executing a strategy designed to achieve scale in the mining industry and focused on serving the world's largest and fastest growing steel markets.

News releases and other information on the Company are available on the Internet at: http://www.cliffsnaturalresources.com/ or www.cliffsnaturalresources.com/Investors/Pages/default.aspx?b=1041&1=1

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