In the Italian flat steel market, base prices have decreased by €10-20/mt ($13-25/mt) as compared to late May. Currently, hot rolled coils (
HRC) are offered at €490-500/mt ($610-623/mt), cold rolled coils (
CRC) are at around €580/mt ($722/mt), while hot dip
galvanized (HDG) coil prices are standing at €550-560/mt ($685-697/mt), all ex-works.
Flat steel domestic demand is still too weak in the local Italian market to allow a recovery in prices. Flat steel prices were initially predicted to move sideways in the Italian domestic market; however, they have been affected negatively by weaker local scrap prices, which may decrease further by €5-10/mt ($6-13/mt) by the end of this month.
As the summer holidays are approaching, market players do not foresee any improvement in the market situation before September.
€1 = $1.245