The Romanian flat steel spot market has remained stable this week, with no changes in offers compared to the previous week. However, weak local demand is starting to put pressure on prices. Several traders have begun offering lower levels for larger volumes to attract buyers, and signs of downward movement are becoming more apparent. Market participants also highlight ongoing liquidity issues on both the buyer and seller sides, along with relatively high stock levels, which together worsen the market outlook. These challenges have also affected the import segment, where even small and medium-sized purchases have been sharply reduced in recent weeks.
In parallel, the situation for Liberty Galati, the country’s sole flat steel producer, continues to worsen. With no production currently underway, ongoing debt problems and no progress on the possible sale of the plant, overall sentiment has weakened further. Additionally, local news reports indicate that a night-time police raid was carried out at the Liberty Galati site as part of an investigation into alleged CO₂-emission certificate fraud and suspected use of foreign affiliates. Although these claims remain unproven and under investigation, the development adds another layer of uncertainty to an already fragile situation.
Current spot market quotations for hot rolled sheet (HRS) stand at €720-745/mt ex-warehouse, unchanged week on week. Cold rolled sheet (CRS) prices have also remained stable, at €835-865/mt ex-warehouse. However, some traders report that, especially for HRS, some offers are appearing at around or even slightly below €700/mt ex-warehouse for larger volumes, again reflecting efforts to stimulate limited demand.
On the import side, similar pressure has been observed. Sources state that interest from Romanian buyers has been very low in recent weeks. Given the sluggish domestic market, no new significant import purchases have been made. As a result, import offers have remained largely stable. According to reports, the Ukrainian supplier has kept HRS offers at €635-640/mt CPT and CRS offers at €725-730/mt CPT, in line with last week. Likewise, Turkish suppliers have maintained HRC offers at €475-490/mt CFR for December-January shipments to Romania, including estimated freight costs of €15-20/mt. It should be noted that these import prices are duty-free depending on the origin, although Turkish material remains subject to EU antidumping duties.