Plate prices in Turkish market have not seen a dramatic change over the past month with only some Asian suppliers adjusting their prices according to demand and lead times. The domestic offers have remained relatively stable with some discounts granted under the table depending on the order breakdown and volume. The demand for plate in Turkey is reported to be moderate to slow as customers prefer to restock in small volumes. Still, some projects are on the table, particularly in the energy sector.
Local mill’s plate prices are at $670-700/mt ex-works for base grades and for July production, sources said, which is more or less with the offers of mid-April. Some of the customers report $640-660/mt ex-works levels may also be reachable depending on the order breakdown. Turkey’s retail prices for S235JR grade are at $710-720/mt and for S355JR are at $770/mt, both on ex-warehouse basis and both relatively stable.
Import offers from China for the base plate grades have been reported at $570-575/mt CFR for July shipments, down from $575-585/mt CFR a month ago. The official base plate prices from South Korea are now at $670/mt CFR for August shipment, while earlier the levels of $630-640/mt CFR were possible. “August is quite late for the customers anyway, so no need for them to give low levels since the buyers would be still hesitant,” a trading source told SteelOrbis. In addition, some market players have reported South Korean S355 plate offer at $750/mt CFR.
The presence of the European plate suppliers in the Turkish market is rather indicative due to the unfavourable exchange rates. Bulgaria is in the market with the same price of $800/mt CFR for end-of-June and July shipment, which is considered on the high side and buyers believe $20-30/mt lower levels might be achievable at a firm bid for a good order. The Romanian mill is still not in the market since the restart of the production has been delayed. In the meantime, shipbuilding plate offers from Macedonia have stabilized at €710/mt DAP, SteelOrbis has learned.
