In the first half of September the Italian scrap market showed a significant increase in prices, later followed by a downtrend that now seems to have reached the bottom. The same movement has been observed in the international markets, which have also been impacted by the strength of the euro against the US dollar.
Italian mills' production is relatively low, and so their needs for scrap can be easily met even if scrap supply remains tight. In the near future, the Italian scrap market is expected to be characterized by a substantial balance between demand and supply.
Last month, for the first time Italy became a net exporter of scrap.
It has been heard that 38,800 metric tons of pig iron and 10,300 metric tons of scrap arrived at the Italian port of Marghera (near Venice) in September.