The factors influencing roll prices in Northwest Europe this year are so diverse that manufacturers and consumers' expectations of future price trends are increasingly diverging.
Steel producers primarily point to limited import opportunities, higher production costs, and stricter European trade protection measures to justify price increases, Dutch service center Noviostaal wrote in a customer newsletter. Buyers, on the other hand, point to weak demand from end consumers, fierce competition between distributors (see Kallanish, May 20, 2026), and still high inventory levels in the supply chain - and are therefore resisting price increases.
In this context, Noviostaal notes that the price level for cold-rolled and hot-dip galvanized coils remains relatively stable due to the limited availability of certain product groups.
For both HDG and CRC, factory sources and buyers contacted by Kallanish generally agree on the current price range of 800-830 euros per tonne (831-967 USD). CRC/HDG prices seem to be somewhat more stable than for hot-rolled coils, which, in the course of numerous transactions reported since April, have fallen below the 700 euro per ton mark, which was successfully fixed earlier.
One of the sources at the plant agrees that HDG/CRC prices are fairly stable, and he believes that "demand and activity are the same, as supply is limited due to new precautions." In his opinion, this, along with higher prices for energy and raw materials, as well as EU measures to replace protective coatings, supports stable or rising HDG prices, despite slow growth in the construction market.
As for the buyers, the sources are not so sure. One trader categorically rejects the possibility of price increases. "Even if pressure remains on mil, the problem is demand, which is too weak," he says. He also notes that customers are becoming more familiar with CBAM management and perceive it as a lower risk. He points to the reopening of some plants in France, Poland and Spain, which will put more pressure on the market.
The manager of a Benelux-based interior construction firm notes that due to the new EU and CBAM quotas, his company has decided to increase the volume of supplies and the ratio of supplies from EU suppliers. This decision may have been made by other end-user companies that require reliable quality. However, in general, many observers believe that stocks are still well replenished from previous purchases, regardless of whether they were produced domestically or imported.,
