During the current week, despite the upward price tendency observed among European Union (EU) flat steel mills, mainly driven by the introduction of new safeguard measures and the growing pressure resulting from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Romanian flat steel spot traders have largely opted to maintain stable offer levels compared to the previous week. This cautious stance reflects a combination of ongoing weak demand and persistent liquidity constraints in the domestic market. As a result, most Romanian market participants have adopted a wait-and-see approach, closely monitoring the reactions of EU buyers to the recent price increases by European mills, before adjusting their own offers. According to market sources, a limited number of traders have attempted to raise their prices slightly, but demand conditions remain insufficiently supportive to sustain these efforts.
Consequently, spot market quotations for hot rolled sheet (HRS) have remained unchanged at €710-735/mt ex-warehouse, while cold rolled sheet (CRS) has continued to be offered at €830-845/mt ex-warehouse, both consistent with the levels recorded during the previous week.
Meanwhile, the outlook for Liberty Galati, Romania’s sole flat steel producer, remains uncertain and notably bleak. The company has not issued any fresh announcements concerning production or pricing strategies, and recent worker protests at the plant, prompted by delayed salary payments, have further underscored the fragile condition of the domestic supply base.
In the import segment, no new agreements have been reported with non-EU suppliers, as market participants believe that the relevant import quotas have already been exhausted. Romanian buyers facing urgent restocking needs have therefore turned to neighboring countries. Notably, Ukrainian suppliers have aligned their pricing strategies with the upward trend in EU markets, raising their offers for HRS to €625-630/mt CPT and for CRS to €715-720/mt CPT, representing an increase from last week’s levels of €615-620/mt and €705-710/mt, respectively. Conversely, Turkish suppliers have reduced their offers for hot rolled coil (HRC), influenced by the recent softening of Chinese export prices. Current CFR offers for November shipments to Romania are assessed at €475-485/mt, down from €480-490/mt in the previous week, inclusive of freight costs estimated at approximately €15-20/mt. It is important to note that these import prices are duty-free, depending on the source, and Turkish materials remain subject to EU antidumping duties.