In the month of February and right up to the present time, the Italian domestic rebar market has been characterized by stable quotation levels, with base prices currently in the range of €320-330/mt.
A strong difference may be observed between the situation in the local Italian market and the situation as regards exports. The Italian domestic market currently indicates a slowdown in apparent demand and also very weak levels of real demand. Exports, on the other hand, are going through a very positive period, with Italian producers already completely booked out for the whole of March, and with important shipment quantities destined for the Mediterranean region and, in particular, for Algeria.
Overall, the previsions for the near future are on the optimistic side. Market players say that they expect quotations to remain high until at least the end of the first quarter, buoyed up by causes which are independent of the actual dynamics of the market itself (i.e. by increases in costs of raw material, energy and petrol). It is predicted that during the month of March, rebar prices in Italy could gain €10/mt, rising to a range of €330-340/mt for base prices.