Romanian long steel prices have continued to soften this week as market uncertainty and subdued demand weigh on sentiments. Spot traders, responding to the unclear outlook surrounding import quotas and the upcoming implementation of CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), have reduced their offer levels further. The country’s sole rebar producer, after keeping prices stable for an extended period, has also lowered official prices in line with prevailing market conditions. Despite the overall cautious stance of EU buyers driven by concerns over the rapid exhaustion of import quotas, interest in Turkish material has persisted, with Romanian buyers securing fresh bookings from Turkey.
As a result, Romanian buyers have lately purchased 15,000 mt of rebar from Turkish suppliers at €468/mt CFR for October shipment. Current Turkish rebar offers to Romania stand at €465-485/mt CFR, based on an exchange rate of €1 = $1.18 and estimated freight costs of €15-20/mt. Other non-EU suppliers have also re-entered the market. Egyptian mills are now offering to Romania at €485-490/mt CFR for rebar and €495-500/mt CFR for wire rod, for November shipment.
Within the EU, offers have shown a mixed trend. Bulgarian suppliers have kept their rebar offers unchanged at €580-590/mt CPT, while Moldovan producers have reduced their offers from €590-600/mt CPT to €570/mt CPT, for October shipment.
Domestically, Romania’s sole rebar producer has made a significant price cut, lowering official prices from €585-590/mt ex-works to €550-555/mt ex-works. Spot traders have also adjusted prices accordingly, with their offers falling to €555-565/mt ex-warehouse, down from €570-580/mt in the previous week.
A similar softening trend has been observed in the wire rod segment, where demand remains especially sluggish. Traders have reduced their offers week o week from €560-570/mt to €565-575/mt ex-warehouse, reflecting the ongoing market weakness and buyers' limited appetite for purchases.