According to different players in the local Polish scrap market, this week has been rather silent and lacking movement. Summer is approaching, finished steel demand is not on the high side, and the recent elections for the new president in Poland contributed to the market’s stillness.
“I don’t think the new elections will bring any major changes to the market”, a source commented. However, SteelOrbis believes it is worth underlining that the election of Karol Nawrocki, leader of the Polish conservative party, may have consequences on Poland’s attitude towards green European regulations, as Nawrocki is openly against the Green Deal and believes that Polish coal should be the main source of energy for industries until the country begins nuclear power production, because electricity, he says, is far too expensive.
In the scrap market in Poland, a local scrap collector claimed that it is very hard to find decent volumes for export sale, but another collector stated the exact opposite. Apparently, some players raised their scrap collection prices by about €5/mt, but, according to a reliable source, HMS I collection prices to export yards are standing at €240-250/mt DAP, down by €10-20/mt compared to the last official level recorded by SteelOrbis on May 22.
It is also worth noting that, according to media reports, a scrap-carrying vessel sailing from the Polish port of Gdansk and directed to Setubal, Portugal, was damaged in an accident and deviated from its route near Klagshamn, south of Malmö. Local authorities are still investigating, but the situation seems under control and there has been no major damage to the ship nor to the environment.
To conclude, the overall situation in the local Polish scrap market seems really uncertain at the moment, and no one dares to make any prediction about the future trend of prices.