The Romanian long steel market has remained stable over the past week, with the sole domestic rebar producer keeping its prices unchanged, while higher offers continue to be tested in the spot market. Market participants are still awaiting new price indications from the domestic producer, whose continued silence has become a key factor shaping the market direction. Although demand conditions and ongoing liquidity constraints continue to weigh on trading activity and limit the workability of higher levels, upward pressure persists amid rising import prices and increasing cost levels. Against this background, expectations for further price increases remain strong, with sellers continuing to test higher offers, while a clearer market direction is likely to depend on the next move from the domestic producer.
In the import market, which continues to shape the overall price direction, although most suppliers have continued to increase their offers, some have chosen to keep their prices stable over the past week. With rising energy and freight costs remaining the key focus, many suppliers are still in the process of recalculating their price levels, indicating that further adjustments may be seen in the coming days. According to market sources, the Bulgarian supplier has kept its rebar offers stable at €630-635/mt CPT compared to the previous week, while the Hungarian supplier has also maintained its offers unchanged week on week, at €625-630/mt CPT. Among non-EU suppliers, an Egyptian mill has continued to increase its offers significantly for April shipment to €530/mt CFR for rebar and €540/mt CFR for wire rod, compared to €495-510/mt CFR and €505-515/mt CFR previously. Turkish suppliers have also increased their rebar offers to €500-520/mt CFR, from €495-520/mt CFR earlier, based on an exchange rate of €1 = $1.15 and estimated freight costs of €15-20/mt, as freight levels remain unclear and subject to further increases.
Reflecting these external pressures, workable rebar prices in the Romanian spot market are reported at €590-600/mt ex-warehouse, with some traders testing slightly levels around €10-15/mt higher. The domestic producer’s latest indications stand at €590-595/mt ex-works, while higher price ideas of €610-615/mt ex-works are also heard in the market, though not confirmed at the time of publication. In the wire rod segment, offers are reported at €585-590/mt ex-warehouse, unchanged week on week.
