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                                                                    EXHIBIT 4.16

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                         INTERNATIONAL WIRE GROUP, INC.

                    INTERNATIONAL WIRE ROME OPERATIONS, INC.

                            THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS

                                       AND

                  IBJ SCHRODER BANK & TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE

                                   ----------

                          SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

                            DATED AS OF APRIL 7, 1998

                                       TO

                                    INDENTURE

                          DATED AS OF FEBRUARY 12, 1997

                                      AMONG

                   INTERNATIONAL WIRE GROUP, INC., AS ISSUER,

                           THE SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS

                                       AND

                  IBJ SCHRODER BANK & TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE

                                   ----------

                                   $10,000,000

                     14% SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2005


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                  SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE, dated as of April 7, 1998,
among INTERNATIONAL WIRE GROUP, INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
INTERNATIONAL WIRE ROME OPERATIONS, INC., a Delaware corporation ("IW Rome"),
and IBJ SCHRODER BANK & TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee (the "Trustee").

                  WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to
the trustee an Indenture, dated as of February 12, 1997, as supplemented by that
certain First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 10, 1997 (as
supplemented, the "Indenture"), providing for the issuance of $10,000,000
aggregate principal amount of the Company's 14% Senior Subordinated Notes due
2005 (the "Securities");

                  WHEREAS, the Company and IW Rome desire by this Second
Supplemental Indenture, pursuant to and as contemplated by Article XI of the
Indenture, that IW Rome become a Subsidiary Guarantor (as defined in the
Indenture) under the Indenture;

                  WHEREAS, the execution and delivery of this Second
Supplemental Indenture has been authorized by a resolution of the Board of
Directors of each of the Company and IW Rome; and

                  WHEREAS, all conditions and requirements necessary to make
this Second Supplemental Indenture a valid, binding and legal instrument in
accordance with its terms have been performed and fulfilled by the parties
hereto and the execution and delivery thereof have been in all respects duly
authorized by the parties hereto.

                  NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the above premises, each
party agrees, for the benefit of the other and for the equal and ratable benefit
of the Holders (as defined in the Indenture) of the Securities, as follows:

                                    ARTICLE I

                ASSUMPTION OF OBLIGATIONS AS SUBSIDIARY GUARANTOR

                  Section 1.1. Assumption. IW Rome hereby expressly and
unconditionally assumes each and every covenant, agreement and undertaking of a
Subsidiary Guarantor in the Indenture as of the date of this Second Supplemental
Indenture, and also hereby expressly and unconditionally assumes each and every
covenant, agreement and undertaking of a Subsidiary Guarantor in each Security
outstanding on the date of this Second Supplemental Indenture.


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                                   ARTICLE II


                            MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

                  Section 2.1. Terms Defined. For all purposes of this Second
Supplemental Indenture, except as otherwise defined or unless the context
otherwise requires, terms used in capitalized form in this Second Supplemental
Indenture and defined in the Indenture have the meanings specified in the
Indenture.

                  Section 2.2. Indenture. Except as amended hereby, the
Indenture and the Securities are in all respects ratified and confirmed and all
the terms thereof shall remain in full force and effect.

                  Section 2.3. Governing Law. THIS SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF
NEW YORK, AS APPLIED TO CONTRACTS MADE AND PERFORMED WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW
YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS.

                  Section 2.4. Successors. All agreements of the Company and IW
Rome in this Second Supplemental Indenture and the Securities shall bind each of
their successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Second Supplemental
Indenture and in the Indenture shall bind its successors.

                  Section 2.5. Multiple Counterparts. The parties may sign
multiple counterparts of this Second Supplemental Indenture. Each signed
counterpart shall be deemed an original, but all of them together represent the
same agreement.

                  Section 2.6. Trustee Disclaimer. The Trustee accepts the
amendment of the Indenture effected by this Second Supplemental Indenture and
agrees to execute the trust created by the Indenture as hereby amended, but only
upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Indenture, including the terms
and provisions defining and limiting the liabilities and responsibilities of the
Trustee, which terms and provisions shall in like manner define and limit its
liabilities and responsibilities in the performance of the trust created by the
Indenture as hereby amended, and without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, the Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner whatsoever for or
with respect to any of the recitals or statements contained herein, all of which
recitals or statements are made solely by the Company, or for or with respect to
(i) the validity or sufficiency of this Second Supplemental Indenture or any of
the terms or provisions hereof, (ii) the proper authorization hereof by the
Company by corporate action or otherwise, (iii) the due execution hereof by the
Company or





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(iv) the consequences (direct or indirect and whether deliberate or inadvertent)
of any amendment herein provided for, and the Trustee makes no representation
with respect to any such matters.

                  Section 2.7. Indemnification. The indemnification provisions
of Section 7.7 of the Indenture shall include any and all loss, liability or
expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) incurred by the Trustee in
connection with the execution and delivery of this Second Supplemental Indenture
and the performance of its duties hereunder.




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                                   SIGNATURES

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Second
Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.


                                               INTERNATIONAL WIRE GROUP, INC.



                                               By: /s/ DAVID M. SINDELAR
                                                  -----------------------------
                                                  David M. Sindelar
                                                  Senior Vice President



                                               INTERNATIONAL WIRE ROME
                                               OPERATIONS, INC.



                                               By: /s/ DAVID J. WEBSTER
                                                  -----------------------------
                                                  David J. Webster
                                                  Vice President and Assistant
                                                  Secretary



                                               IBJ SCHRODER BANK & TRUST COMPANY



                                               By: /s/ STEPHEN J. GIURLANDO
                                                  -----------------------------
                                               Name: Stephen J. Giurlando
                                                    ---------------------------
                                               Title: Assistant Vice President
                                                     --------------------------




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