During the first week of 2025, the global carbon steel flat products market followed a sideways trend similar to that observed at the end of 2024. This was reported by Assofermet Acciai, the association representing Italian distributors of scrap, raw materials, and steel products, in its usual monthly market report. European demand remained weak, primarily due to the ongoing crisis in the automotive and household appliance sectors. However, European steel mills have announced price increases, citing higher production costs. These price hikes have been further supported by reduced interest among operators in importing material from non-EU countries, due to numerous trade barriers, including safeguard, antidumping and antisubsidy measures.
Regarding stainless steel flat products, Assofermet’s analysis highlights that the sharp decline in purchasing activity is closely linked to the weakness of the European industry. Demand is expected to remain weak at least throughout the first quarter of 2025, with no significant signs of improvement at the moment.
In warehouses, the available material is mainly from orders completed in 2024. Ongoing international economic uncertainties and the crisis in key countries such as France, Germany and Italy continue to negatively affect the market. “Carbon steel products saw the largest declines in terms of volumes, although long products experienced a more noticeable reduction in average prices, and consequently in turnover,” Assofermet stated.
The tinplate market has seen the introduction of provisional duties on Chinese imports, with rates ranging from 14 percent to 62 percent. These duties, which had been anticipated for months, aim to counteract the impact of historically dominant non-EU imports. Additionally, according to the association, the exceeding of safeguard quotas by countries such as Turkey and India could lead to the imposition of further pro-rata duties, which are still being defined.