The Romanian flats steel spot market has shown no signs of improvement over the past week, with offers remaining stable. This ongoing quietness and price stability are largely attributed to the beginning of the August vacation period, which has slowed both business operations and import activity. Although slight increases have been seen in import prices, mainly driven by ArcelorMittal’s upward adjustments in previous weeks, these changes have not yet impacted domestic Romanian flat steel prices. Spot offers remain steady, with some flexibility in pricing for large volume orders, as sluggish sales are expected to continue through the end of August.
As a result, workable domestic hot rolled sheet (HRS) prices in the spot market are currently quoted at €700-720/mt ex-warehouse, unchanged from last week. However, traders are reportedly offering discounts of €10-15/mt to serious buyers.
Similarly, cold rolled sheet (CRS) prices have also remained flat week on week, standing at around €825-835/mt ex-warehouse.
Meanwhile, in the import market, recent price hikes by ArcelorMittal have led to moderate increases from other suppliers. This week, Ukrainian offers for HRS and CRS rose by €5-10/mt, now reaching €590-605/mt CFR and €680-695/mt CFR, respectively, for August–September shipments. A similar upward trend is seen in Turkish HRC offers but is primarily influenced by rising Chinese prices. According to reports, Turkish FOB prices are now at $530-550/mt, and with freight costs estimated at €15-20/mt, delivered prices to Romania are calculated at approximately €480-500/mt CFR for September shipment, up from last week’s €465-480/mt CFR. However, Romanian buyers remain hesitant to purchase imported material from outside the EU, as shipments would only be cleared under the next EU import quota round starting on October 1. Many consider it too early to begin restocking under those conditions.
