Italian flat steel producers have kept their domestic prices stable over the past week, with their prices still standing at €430-460/mt for hot rolled coil (HRC), at €520-540/mt for cold rolled coil (CRC) and at €520/mt for hot dip galvanized (HDG), all ex-works. Meanwhile, downstream demand for flat steel in Italy is at low but stable levels. Over the past three months, the supply scenario in the flat steel market in Italy has been characterized by a lack of imports, as also confirmed by Italian distributors association Assofermet.
In the meantime, prices have increased globally, though some signals of possible decreases have arrived from China. However, European Commission trade procedures are keeping the Chinese out of the market as buyers do not want to take risks until the duty situation becomes clearer. This should provide sufficient support to prevent decreases in flat steel prices in the Italian market during the coming period.