The Romanian flat steel spot market has remained quiet this week, with trading activity yet to recover. Market participants expect some pickup in both demand and pricing in the coming weeks. For now, most traders are keeping their offers stable, though some have started granting discounts to serious buyers in an effort to stimulate sales.
On the pricing front, spot market levels remain unchanged from last week, with hot rolled sheet (HRS) prices at around €700-720/mt ex-warehouse, and cold rolled sheet (CRS) prices at €825-835/mt ex-warehouse.
Meanwhile, the country’s sole flats producer, Liberty Galati, continues to face severe challenges. The company, which had previously placed the majority of its steelworkers on technical unemployment in September, has now extended the suspension across all operations, retaining only a small number of staff to ensure the safety of the blast furnace. According to local media, Liberty Galati has provided no guarantees regarding salaries during this period, offering only meal vouchers and keeping workers “on call.” Financial recovery remains elusive, with the company struggling to regain the trust of the market, secure new orders or resume production, as inventories pile up.
On the other hand, in the import market, Romanian buyers have continued to cover urgent needs with small lots from neighboring countries, while no fresh bookings have been reported from outside the EU. However, activity could pick up in the coming weeks as the start of the new EU quota period approaches. Neighboring supplier Bulgaria has increased its offers for September-October shipments. Its hot rolled sheet (HRS) is now quoted at €610-620/mt CPT, up from €590-600/mt last week, while cold rolled sheet (CRS) stands at €700-710/mt CPT, compared with €680-690/mt previously. From outside the EU, Turkish mills have slightly reduced export prices. Their current offers are at $535-550/mt FOB, down from $540-560/mt FOB a week earlier. Including freight costs of around €15-20/mt, delivered prices from Turkey into Romania are now calculated at approximately €470-490/mt CFR for September-October shipments, compared with €480-500/mt CFR last week.