Business activity in the Turkish plate market has been slow this week, partly due to the relative silence in European destinations. Another reason is that some of the suppliers are trying to evaluate the possibilities of a rebound, amid stronger scrap prices and the attempts of HRC producers to raise their domestic and export offers.
Domestically, plate prices have remained stable at $1,000/mt ex-works for S235JR and $1,050/mt ex-works for S355JR, both for September deliveries. In the retail segment, ex-warehouse plate prices vary at $1,050-1,080/mt. “Although there are some upward steps in HRC, plate is not rising because the price difference was too high before, and so the market may be seeking a healthier balance,” a trader told SteelOrbis.
In the import segment, Romania’s Liberty Galati is offering at $1,030-1,040/mt CFR, down $10-20/mt over the week. Bulgaria’s Stomana, on the contrary, decided to stay at around $1,080/mt CFR, while there is no visible demand received from the Turkish side. Macedonia-based Makstil, according to sources, is at $950-1,000/mt CFR in offers to some customers, but the supplier’s official offers should be higher than that. No solid information was heard regarding offers from South Korea, but some customers said they received $900/mt CFR, while last week one of the South Korean mills was offering at $850-860/mt CFR.