Italian merchant bar producers' base price levels for their domestic market are currently in the range of €50-55/mt ($55-60/mt) ex-works, or even lower in the case of some minor producers. The base prices do not include size extras. Price extras vary in the range of €410-610/mt ($512-665/mt) for domestic sales and at €410-620/mt ($512-676/mt) for foreign markets, depending on dimension and product.
The €20/mt ($22/mt) price hike announcement made earlier this month by the market leader Beltrame Group has not been fully accepted by the market and appears to be losing ground due to weak demand and the decreases seen in scrap prices. Furthermore, sentiment among market players is also poor due to the overall atmosphere of uncertainty, which causes players to keep inventories on the low side.
As regards exports, most Italian offers for the European market are in the average price range of €430-450/mt ($469-491/mt) delivered for medium-sized products.
€1 = $1.09