Italian rebar manufacturers have suspended sales in anticipation of rising prices

According to sources, a number of Italian rebar manufacturers have suspended sales and are preparing for a new price increase of about 20-40 euros per ton compared to the pre-holiday level. It is expected that the cost may rise to 460-480 euros per ton from the plant. Before the August break, manufacturers had already announced an increase to 440 euros per ton from the plant, according to Calanish. The current pause in sales is related to ArcelorMittal's recent price increase for rebar and other rolled products by 25 euros per ton in September. The company attributed this to rising energy and transportation costs. According to a source at the plant, high costs are forcing manufacturers to raise prices in order to regain profitability. At the same time, demand has remained unstable in recent months: in the first two weeks of each month, buyers act cautiously, and in the second half of the month, the number of orders usually increases. After the holidays, the market remained sluggish: buyers took a wait-and-see attitude and concluded only individual transactions, and without large volumes. Several rebar contracts signed last week remained at the pre-holiday level. The deals were concluded at 410-420 euros per ton from the factory. Taking into account the additional costs of 260-270 euros per ton, the actual delivery price is estimated at 670-690 euros per ton at the factory. The price of the grid was reportedly 500-530 euros per ton, excluding an additional 300 euros per ton.