Billet deals have been sporadic in the Turkish market, mainly due to the holiday period. Some sales were concluded locally, while in the import segment buyers’ bids are generally lower than sellers’ intentions.
In the local market, an Iskenderun region-based mill has closed deals at $422/mt ex-works. Sources state that the volume is at least 20,000 mt, though some market players indicate a total of about 40,000 mt booked at the mentioned price. New offers are at $425/mt ex-works and availability is limited in the region. “Both regular mills seem to be sold out until the end of the year, while Isdemir has no allocation due to some blast furnace issues,” a regional market player told SteelOrbis.
In the import segment, some re-rollers have been inquiring for 5,000-10,000 mt lots, bidding around $415/mt CFR or slightly above. However, large CIS-based mills’ prices are standing at $420-425/mt FOB for January shipments. In the meantime, a December shipment lot, according to sources, has been on offer from Russia at $427/mt CFR Iskenderun. No fresh deals have been reported on the import side.