Following the clarification of CBAM details and the recent price increases announced by ArcelorMittal, some Romanian traders have attempted to push their flat steel spot offer price levels higher. However, market feedback suggests that these increases have faced limited acceptance, as buyers have remained cautious and effective workable prices have largely stayed stable over the past week. Although CBAM-related expectations and higher EU price signals have supported price hike attempts, actual buying activity has only shown a slight improvement, mainly at lower price levels and ahead of the Christmas holiday period. With the market expected to be quiet in the coming weeks due to the holidays, suppliers are increasingly questioning how sustainable higher price levels will be after the New Year holiday. Many market participants believe that, without a clear recovery in demand, further downward pressure is likely to emerge in early 2026.
As a result, spot flat steel prices in Romania have remained unchanged week on week, with hot rolled sheet (HRS) still quoted at €710-735/mt ex-warehouse and cold rolled sheet (CRS) at €825-845/mt ex-warehouse. Despite this headline stability, market participants report that actual transactions continue to take place at lower workable levels, as demand remains weak and liquidity is tight. Several traders note that sales are largely dependent on offering discounts, particularly for advance payments and larger volumes. Under these conditions, HRS has been traded at €680-690/mt ex-warehouse, while CRS deals have been heard at €775-790/mt ex-warehouse.
In the import market, activity has remained very limited ahead of the long holiday period, with Romanian buyers showing little urgency to book new volumes due to weak domestic demand and ample stocks. Nevertheless, recent announcement of CBAM details have led EU suppliers to push prices higher. According to sources, the Ukrainian mill has raised its offers by €10/mt, quoting HRS at €660-670/mt CPT and CRS at €750-760/mt CPT. Similarly, a Slovak supplier has increased HRS offers to €670-680/mt CPT. In contrast, Turkish mills have kept their offers stable, with HRC prices for January shipment remaining at €475-490/mt CFR, based on estimated freight costs of €15-20/mt. These levels are duty-free depending on origin, although Turkish material continues to be subject to EU antidumping duties.
