There were mixed trends in the Bulgarian long products market this week: a decrease in domestic demand put pressure on rebar prices, while the cost of wire rod remained relatively stable.
Market participants report that business activity has slowed down amid growing financial uncertainty caused by recent political events and the revision of a number of government financing programs. As a result, purchasing activity remained cautious, with most buyers limiting orders to immediate needs and avoiding significant restocking. Despite the weak domestic market, there were several attractive offers in the import segment, especially for materials of European origin. Sources report that Italian suppliers are becoming more aggressive in their rebar pricing strategies, seeking to attract buyers in a market where overall consumption remains low. On the contrary, interest in imports from non-EU countries remains limited, as protective quotas and concerns related to CBAM hinder new orders and reduce the competitiveness of imported materials.
Against this background, rebar prices in Bulgaria have decreased slightly and currently amount to about 630-640 euros per ton excluding VAT, compared with 640-650 euros per ton excluding VAT, previously recorded. At the same time, the wire rod segment remains more stable due to relatively balanced supply conditions and the absence of significant pressure from sellers. Current offers are reported to be 680-700 euros per tonne without VAT, compared to 680-690 euros per tonne without VAT, although most deals are still at 680-690 euros per tonne without VAT.
In the import market, the supply of Turkish rebar is currently estimated at about 590-600 USD/ton on FOB terms. Taking into account the transportation costs of about 20-25 euros per ton, these levels would be about 530-540 euros per ton in Bulgaria, compared with 525-545 euros per ton reported a week earlier. Meanwhile, Egyptian suppliers are estimated to offer rebar at about 600-610 dollars per ton on FOB terms, and wire rod at about 620-625 dollars per ton on FOB terms. Based on the prevailing freight rates of about 25-30 euros per ton, these figures will correspond to about 535-550 euros per ton of Bulgarian rebar and 555-565 euros per ton of Bulgarian wire rod.
As for materials of European origin, offers from Italian fittings have recently been received at a price of about 665 euros per ton in Bulgaria. Meanwhile, the cost of Romanian
