Romania’s long steel market has seen another round of price increases this week, mainly driven by clearer CBAM related cost expectations and firmer pricing signals from other EU suppliers ahead of the extended Christmas holiday period. With both mill and spot prices moving higher, buyers looking to replenish stocks and hedge against potential post New Year increases have returned to the market, resulting in a modest improvement in demand compared with recent weeks. However, market sources stress that this recovery remains fragile. Much of the buying activity appears precautionary rather than demand led, as purchasers seek to secure material before further price hikes rather than in response to stronger underlying consumption. With year end holidays approaching and financial constraints still present, trading activity is expected to slow again, raising questions over the sustainability of the latest price increases.
As a result, domestic rebar prices have risen further. The country’s sole producer has increased its offers to €570-575/mt ex-works, up from €560-565/mt previously. In the retail market, traders have also lifted their quotations to €580-605/mt ex-warehouse, compared with €570-590/mt ex-warehouse last week.
In contrast, the wire rod segment has seen a more limited response. Although demand remains noticeably weaker than in the rebar market, prices have nevertheless edged higher in line with broader market movements. Traders report current offers at €575-585/mt ex-warehouse, up from €560-570/mt ex-warehouse a week earlier.
On the import side, buying interest has increased slightly, particularly toward nearby suppliers, while prices have continued to rise under CBAM related pressure, especially from EU origin material. According to sources, the Bulgarian supplier has raised rebar offers by €10/mt to €610-620/mt CPT, while Moldovan suppliers remain absent from the market with no offers reported. Among non EU suppliers, Egyptian mills have increased rebar offers to €490-495/mt CFR and wire rod to €495–500/mt CFR, up from last week’s €485-490/mt CFR and €490-495/mt CFR, respectively. Turkish suppliers, by contrast, have continued to soften their offers, now quoting €490-505/mt CFR, down from €495-515/mt CFR last week, based on an exchange rate of €1 = $1.17 and estimated freight costs of €15-20/mt.