Scrap stocks remain relatively scarce and it will be interesting to observe the mills' moves after the end of this week, which is somewhat atypical due to the national holiday on March 17. Some market players have said that in the future there could be greater volatility in scrap price movements based on lack of stability as regards mills' outputs and on uncertainty in the finished steel market.
In the Italian scrap market, heavy melting scrap (HSM) stands at €320-340/mt ($446-474/mt), while shredded prices and busheling prices are still at €360/mt ($502/mt) and €380-390/mt ($530-544/mt) respectively. All prices are delivered to customer.
On the import side, recently the volumes of scrap offered by CIS suppliers have declined, in line with the increased needs of their local markets. The flow of material coming from Central Europe is more regular. As stated in Assofermet's latest report, about 27,500 mt of scrap arrived at Port Marghera, Venice in the month of February.
In the meantime, the recent return of Turkish buyers has brought an increase in ex-US scrap prices (+$10/mt). Turkish mills remain very cautious, especially in the light of the political turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East. Furthermore, since last week the possible impact of the earthquake in Japan has also started to be discussed, as in the coming months it may exert an influence on the international steel market.
In conclusion, most market players expect that scrap prices in the Italian domestic market will remain fairly stable at least until the end of March, while they may indicate an upward movement from the start of the second quarter.
€1 = $1.394