Kaiser Aluminum Announces Further Reductions and a Temporary Shutdown At Its Bellwood, Va. Facility

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., May 7, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaiser Aluminum (Nasdaq:KALU) today announced plans to further curtail operations at its Bellwood, Va. facility to focus solely on drive shaft and seamless tube products. Approximately 56 employees at the Bellwood, Va. facility will be affected. In addition, the facility will take a temporary shutdown during the month of July in response to planned shutdowns in the automotive industry and continued weak economic and market conditions.

The Bellwood, Va. facility currently produces extruded seamless tube and rod and bar products sold principally to automotive customers and service centers for general engineering applications. The company maintains sufficient capacity throughout its operations capable of meeting customer needs and market demand. As production resumes, the Bellwood, Va. facility is expected to continue to produce drive shaft tube for automotive applications and seamless tube for service centers.

"We will continue to work with our customers to provide them with the 'Best in Class' service they have come to expect and to minimize any impact of these actions," said Jack A. Hockema, President, CEO and Chairman.

These actions are expected to be completed by early third quarter 2009. The Company anticipates it will incur a restructuring charge and other related costs of approximately $5.0 million in the second quarter, related primarily to employee benefits and asset impairment charges.

Kaiser Aluminum, headquartered in Foothill Ranch, Calif., is a leading producer of fabricated aluminum products, serving customers worldwide with highly-engineered solutions for aerospace and high-strength, general engineering, and custom automotive and industrial applications. The company's North American facilities produce value-added sheet, plate, extrusions, forgings, rod, bar and tube products, adhering to traditions of quality, innovation and service that have been key components of the Company's culture since the company was founded in 1946. The Company's stock is included in the Russell 2000(r) index. For more information, please visit www.kaiseraluminum.com.

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This press release contains statements based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 involving known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from those expressed or implied. Kaiser Aluminum cautions that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve significant risks and uncertainties and actual events may vary materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. These factors include: (a) changes in economic or aluminum industry business conditions generally, including supply, demand and credit conditions; (b) unexpected costs or charges arising from the actions contemplated; and (c) other risk factors summarized in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008. All information in this release is as of the date of the release. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company's expectations.

CONTACT:  Kaiser Aluminum
          Investor Relations Contact:
          Melinda C. Ellsworth
          949-614-1757

          FD
          Public Relations Contact:
          Dave Quast
          646-421-5321

Released May 7, 2009