Romanian long steel prices, both in the spot market and from the sole domestic rebar producer, have remained stable over the past week, with no significant changes in demand. As the August summer vacation period begins, the market has become noticeably quiet, with limited activity. Most market participants expect a return to normal business operations and demand at the end of the month or in September. With the vacation mood setting in, offers are expected to follow a stable trend over the coming weeks.
“Not much activity at the moment since August has nearly started, but by the end of the month we will definitely see a comeback in both prices and demand,” a trader told SteelOrbis.
The domestic rebar producer has maintained its pricing for another week, with ex-works offers holding firm at €585-590/mt. Similarly, retail market prices across Romania have shown no variation, continuing to be heard within the €580-595/mt ex-warehouse range.
A comparable trend is seen in the wire rod market, where trading activity remains subdued and most suppliers are quoting steady prices between €580-590/mt ex-warehouse.
On the other hand, in the import market, activity has been limited as the entire European market is expected to enter vacation mode in August. As a result, there has been little interest of deal-making, and most price offers have remained stable over the past week. According to sources, rebar offers from Bulgaria have remained unchanged from the previous week, standing at €605-615/mt CPT for August shipment. Similarly, offers from Greece have held firm, with rebar quoted at €585-590/mt CFR and wire rod at €580-585/mt CFR for the same period. Additionally, it has been reported that rebar from Italian and Hungarian suppliers has been offered to western Romania at €590-600/mt CFR.
Meanwhile, suppliers outside the EU have shown mixed pricing trends for August-September shipments. Egypt has kept its offers steady, with rebar priced at €485-490/mt CFR and wire rod at €500–505/mt CFR. In contrast, Turkish rebar offers have increased slightly over the past week, now quoted at €485-500/mt CFR, based on an exchange rate of €1 = $1.14 and estimated freight costs of €15-20/mt. Although interest in EU-origin offers remains low, some buyers are showing interest in Turkish longs, encouraged by the current exchange rate. According to sources, this may lead to some bookings for the October shipment.