Romanian long steel spot prices have started to come under pressure this week, amid weak domestic demand and the anticipation of lower-priced imported material. Despite this shift in the market direction, the country’s sole rebar producer has chosen to keep official prices stable in an effort to maintain a market balance. However, limited buyer interest and competitive import alternatives are increasing the pressure, which could lead to a price correction from the producer in the coming days. Meanwhile, interest in imported Turkish material remains steady, with buyers closely monitoring offers. That said, no new deals have been reported yet, as Romanian buyers are pushing for lower prices during negotiations, reflecting their cautious stance amid economic uncertainty and sluggish construction activity.
“Prices are decreasing due to limited demand, especially for wire rod. Another major factor is the strong competition from lower-priced imports coming from China, Ukraine and Turkey,” a trader told SteelOrbis.
As a result, in the retail market, traders have lowered their offers to €570-580/mt ex-warehouse, down from €580-595/mt ex-warehouse last week. Meanwhile, the sole rebar producer has kept prices unchanged at €585-590/mt ex-works.
Similarly, in the wire rod segment, traders have reduced their offers to €565-575/mt ex-warehouse, compared to €575-585/mt ex-warehouse in the previous week.
On the import side, Romanian buyers have maintained interest in Turkish material, primarily driven by their pursuit of lower prices during ongoing negotiations. However, according to sources, no new agreements have been finalized this week. Meanwhile, rebar offers from Turkey have continued to decrease and are now quoted at €465-485/mt CFR, down from €470-490/mt CFR previously. These prices are based on an exchange rate of €1 = $1.18 and estimated freight costs of €15-20/mt. Other non-EU suppliers, such as Egypt, have fully booked their October shipment materials and have not yet made any fresh offers for November. Previously, offers to Romania were around €485-490/mt CFR for rebar and €490-495/mt CFR for wire rod. Among EU suppliers, Bulgarian offers have decreased by €10/mt to €580-590/mt CPT, while Moldovan suppliers have maintained their offers at €590-600/mt CPT, unchanged from last week, for October shipments.
