The price positions of the main plate suppliers in Turkey have been under pressure over the past couple of weeks as a result of low end-user demand and the negative impact of the tough economic and financial situation in the country. As a result, local traders have stepped back by around $10-20/mt in prices for their stock material, while some producers have been providing discounts for firm orders. In the import segment, the suppliers chose to follow different price policies.
Turkey-based Erdemir, according to sources, is now at $1,000/mt ex-works for S235Jr plate. However, some sources report the producer may be giving discounts down to $950-970/mt ex-works for some special orders. In the retail market in Turkey, plate stocks are said to be at very low levels, and so prices are much higher than those from the mills. As a result, S235JR plate is available at $1,140-1,150/mt ex-warehouse, while S355JR material is on offer at $1,170/mt ex-warehouse and above.
In the import segment, steel plate offers for Turkey have mostly declined, partly due to the trend of the euro-US dollar exchange rate. In particular, Bulgaria’s Stomana has decreased its offers by $20/mt over the past week to $1,050/mt CFR. Ex-Romania pricing is not yet clear in the market, but some sources have reported that $1,040-1,060/mt CFR levels should be available. Ex-Ukraine plate offers, according to sources, remain relatively stable at $920-930/mt CFR.
