Producers' prices are unchanged in the Italian rebar market, with base prices still at €280-290/mt ($367-380/mt), equivalent to around €530-540/mt ($694-707/mt) ex-works. Demand is very low and companies have cut production. At the beginning of this year, many producers have been complaining about difficulties in obtaining payments, while credit availability is reported to be scarce for market players. To make things worse, in the last four to five days there has been a strike of truck drivers in Italy, with obvious repercussions on trade and payments.
As for the export market, operators consulted by SteelOrbis said that the rebar producers of northern Italy are well covered with bookings for the month of February, even at fairly high prices. At the moment, however, transaction activity is quiet: in particular, Algerian buyers are postponing purchases in anticipation of a decline in prices. In the last two weeks, Italian rebar exports have remained at €525-530/mt ($688-694/mt) FOB.