In the last two weeks, prices have remained almost unchanged in the Italian flat steel market. Accordingly, hot rolled coils (HRC) are offered at the base price of around €475/mt ($613/mt), cold rolled coils (CRC) are at €540-550/mt ($697-710/mt), while hot dip galvanized (HDG) coil prices are standing at €520-530/mt ($671-684/mt), all ex-works.
Italian market players continue to have concerns about the future of the market in the short-to-medium term. In particular, they are keeping a close eye on offers coming from the Far East for the months of November and December, which are characterized by lower prices compared to those of Italian domestic producers. In this context, by November and December Italian suppliers could lower their domestic offers by €10/mt. Meanwhile sources consulted by SteelOrbis report purchases by some traders of coils that will be delivered next January and February.
At present, however, in general Italian buyers are reluctant to place orders, both locally and in the import market. In fact, the downstream market is still weak and does not seem to show signs of a recovery. The Ilva case is still in the spotlight, but for the moment the Taranto-based steel producer continues to produce and deliver regularly.
€1 = $1.29