The demand situation in Turkey’s plate market has remained relatively stable and sales continue at a moderate pace. However, some suppliers have decided to provide certain discounts in order to spur buyers’ interest. “Many believe HRC is set to decline further and that the lower prices provided for plate now may be kind of a gesture from the mills before they are forced to do so,” a source told SteelOrbis.
The domestic plate prices in Turkey from the large integrated producer are now at $790-830/mt ex-works depending on the grade and the order size. The supplier is mainly offering for December deliveries, but some November volume may be allocated as well. Two weeks ago, the mill was offering at $830-850/mt ex-works.
In the import segment, Bulgaria is at $830/mt CFR, $10/mt up over two weeks, while Romania’s offers have remained stable at $825-830/mt CFR. Both sellers are offering for December shipments. South Korea has returned with offers for S235JR plate at $730/mt CFR for December-January shipment, down $10-20/mt over the past fortnight. In the meantime, China, according to some sellers, is offering at $630-650/mt CFR base, while the extras for shipbuilding grades are estimated at around $50-60/mt. Before the holiday, China’s offers stood at $690-700/mt CFR for shipbuilding material.