In the Italian flat steel market, the situation remains unchanged. Base prices are still standing at €530/mt ($705/mt) for hot rolled coils (HRC), at €600-610/mt ($798-811/mt) for cold rolled coils (CRC) and at €580/mt ($771/mt) for hot dip galvanized coils (HDG).
According to market players, price increases continue to seem around the corner, without actually materializing. The reason is, as usual, lack of demand, which has recently led to several production stoppages. Producers report that they are dealing with a demand which does not allow them to work with normal lead times, but rather according to just-in-time policies. Service centers, in particular, speak of orders which are aimed at meeting immediate needs.
Import activity is languishing too, since market players continue to lament the absence of big opportunities from abroad. Currently, Italian buyers consider offers from Turkey to be unattractive, just like offers from CIS countries and from China.
Finally, economic difficulties (both macro and local) continue to be felt and to add to the uncertainty in the market. For this reason, it is still difficult to forecast the future, even the near future, and everybody continues to await new developments.
€1 = $1.33