The local Polish scrap market has remained mostly silent this week, with local purchase prices from mills down by around €15/mt compared to September levels.
Local market participants have reported mills struggling with traditional steel production levels, and favoring semi-finished imports instead of local scrap utilization. In contrast, one of the most important steel plants in Poland, Huta Częstochowa, continues to ramp up output by focusing on steel production for national defense. According to local media reports, the company produced 213,000 mt of steel and sold 160,000 mt of flat rolled products in the current year up to the end of September.
Local scrap prices have been confirmed at the levels SteelOrbis had mentioned last week, i.e., PLN 1,040-1,100/mt (€245-260/mt) for HMS I scrap, PLN 950-990/mt (€220-230/mt) for HMS II scrap and PLN 1,070-1,120/mt (€250-265/mt) for bonus grades.
In terms of scrap imports, transactions from Ukraine are continuing from local Polish mills, and scrap suppliers this month have intensified their sales to Germany, especially to a couple of mills in the eastern part of the country.
According to market reports, exports are becoming more difficult due to a lack of sales opportunities, and the general market outlook remains pessimistic. HMS I scrap collection prices at ports remain range-bound, reported at around €245/mt DAP this week, versus €240-247/mt DAP last week.
