The prices of thick-rolled products in Italy are rising compared to January after further increases by regional producers due to higher import costs of slabs related to CBAM, Kallanish reports.
Market activity remains calm as buyers are now taking a wait-and-see attitude, but manufacturers say they have enough orders until the end of March.
Italian factories currently offer about 750 euros per ton (US$ 888.33 per ton) for sheet S235, with premiums of 30-35 euros per ton for sheet S355 and about 10-15 euros per ton for sheet S275.
The current value of transactions with S275 material is currently increasing to an average of 735-750 euros per ton, and with S355 material to 765-780 euros per ton.
Sellers believe that prices will continue to rise in the coming days as buyers return to shopping after a quiet January.
The cost of slabs, excluding the cost of CBAM, is about $ 530 per ton in the ports of Southern Europe. Sources at the plants report that they are considering charging a CBAM of more than 100 euros per ton.
Meanwhile, Northwestern European steel mills increased their supply prices by about 30 euros per tonne in January amid a continued decline in demand. This slowed down the stronger price increases seen in Italy.
According to the distributors' sources, the current offer prices for S355 plates range from 730 to 770 euros per ton in stock.
One manager complains that his selling prices are not much higher - 760-790 euros per ton, although in previous months raw materials were purchased at slightly lower factory prices.
According to one observer from the Ruhr, the Italian S355 offers for the northern markets "no longer start at 7", which means that they will cost at least 800 euros per ton with delivery to the Ruhr and are completely uncompetitive compared to local offers (see Kallanish of February 2).
Author: Natalia Capra France
Kallanish.com
