Plate prices in Turkey have remained more demand-driven, rather than responsive to the hot rolled coil (HRC) and import scrap price rises. Some import plate offers in Turkey have stabilized, while some have increased since the supplier is not under pressure to conclude urgent sales. In the domestic market, plate pricing has been flexible from both the producer and traders, reflecting their willingness to fight over customers.
The local plate prices have as usual varied depending on the customer, the product specifications and lead times. The lowest level for St37 grade has been reported at $760-770/mt ex-works, while for St44 it has been at $780-800/mt ex-works. However, several small buyers have reported around $840/mt ex-works for St52 material. Domestic plate is available for December-January deliveries.
Import offers from the EU, namely, from Romania and Bulgaria, have stabilized at $830/mt CFR for end-of-December shipments. South Korea has started offering for January shipments at the reported prices of $740-760/mt CFR depending on the grade, while two weeks back the lowest level for this origin stood at $720/mt CFR. Chinese base shipbuilding plate grades are offered at $640-650/mt CFR, up from $635/mt CFR seen earlier, SteelOrbis has learned.
