Romanian flat steel traders and sole domestic flats producer, who had been out of the market for a few weeks owing to the Christmas holidays, have gradually returned to the market. Moreover, their prices have increased owing to the uptrend in the European market and globally, specifically in the Asian region. Despite the persisting unfavorable economic and financial conditions, which are still causing concerns for the upcoming weeks, slight improvements on the demand side give retailers and the domestic producer a reason to be optimistic.
Furthermore, the sole producer, which had temporarily stopped blast furnace operations in December, stated that they have not resumed operation and that they would make a decision based on market conditions.
For now, the domestic mill’s offers for HRC have increased by €30-35/mt over the past two weeks to €690-695/mt ex-works, while its price of cold rolled coil has remained unchanged from previous weeks due to weaker interest, at €775/mt ex-works.
Additionally, the mill's domestic market price in the category of coated steel for HDG rose to €970-975/mt ex-works, from €850/mt ex-works previously, while its PPGI price has decreased by €45-50/mt to €1,070-1,075/mt ex-works compared to previous weeks.
On the other hand, traders’ prices for hot rolled sheets have trended up to €800-850/mt ex-warehouse, up from €735-800/mt ex-warehouse two weeks earlier. Similarly, the feasible price for cold rolled sheets has risen by €40-50/mt to €1,010-1,050/mt ex-warehouse.
In the import segment, according to sources, Bulgaria has offered at €910/mt DAP for heavy plates, while Italy has offered at €945/mt DAP.