KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC.                     Contact:  Gregory M. Swalwell
Three Lincoln Centre                                 Vice President,  Finance
5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700                         and Chief Financial Officer
Dallas, Texas   75240-2697                           (972) 233-1700
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PRESS RELEASE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


 KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC. ANNOUNCES EFFECTIVENESS OF SHELF REGISTRATION STATEMENT


         DALLAS,  TEXAS - March 3, 2005 - Kronos  Worldwide,  Inc.  (NYSE:  KRO)
today  announced  that its  shelf  registration  statement  on Form S-3 filed on
January  24,  2005,  has been  declared  effective  by the U.S.  Securities  and
Exchange Commission.  The registration statement permits the offer and sale from
time to time of up to $100,000,000 of common stock, preferred stock and warrants
of Kronos  Worldwide.  The terms of any offering will be established at the time
of the offering.

         Any offering of securities  covered by the registration  statement will
be made only by means of written prospectuses and prospectus  supplements.  This
press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, nor the  solicitation of an
offer to buy,  nor shall there be any sale of  securities  in any state in which
such offer,  solicitation  or sale would be unlawful  prior to  registration  or
qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

         Kronos Worldwide,  Inc. is a major  international  producer of titanium
dioxide pigments.

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