The sideways movement continued in the Romanian long-rolled products market this week: the general situation still does not give grounds for a noticeable increase in prices. Demand remains, but it is limited, as construction activity is still not high enough to ensure a more tangible increase in steel consumption. An additional factor of caution for buyers remains the lack of liquidity.
As a result, most transactions are still related to covering current needs. There is no need to build up stocks at the current level of demand. Stocks in the domestic market are generally assessed as sufficient, which further reduces the need to purchase additional volumes.
Against this background, domestic prices remained generally stable, and demand for imported materials was also subdued. Retail prices for rebar in Romania remain at the level of 610-615 euros per ton from the warehouse. At the same time, some sellers are trying to raise quotes by another 5-10 euros per ton, focusing on the range of 615-625 euros per ton from the warehouse. However, these levels have not yet received broad support from buyers and do not lead to a noticeable upward movement of the market.
Beltrame, the only rebar manufacturer in Romania, keeps official prices at around 600-610 euros per ton from the factory. Depending on the batch size and payment terms, discounts of about 10 euros per ton are still possible.
The wire rod market is developing according to a similar scenario. The prevailing retail prices remain at the level of 635-640 euros per ton from the warehouse. Sellers are also trying to increase quotes by 5-10 euros per ton, bringing the target range to 640-650 euros per ton from the warehouse.
Import activity remained low this week, with current domestic demand and sufficient local stocks limiting buyers' interest in additional purchases abroad. Prices for Bulgarian rebar in Romania rose to 640-660 euros per ton without VAT, compared with 630-650 euros per ton without VAT a week earlier.
There were no new offers from Italy this week. The latest available quotes remain generally stable at around 590 euros per tonne FCA, while shipping to Romania is estimated at 65-75 euros per tonne.
Hungarian rebar in rolls is still offered at about 640-650 euros per ton. Moldovan suppliers also keep the same prices: about 610-620 euros per ton for rebar and 645-655 euros per ton for rebar in rolls.
The export quotations of Turkish rebar have not changed this week and amount to 620-635 dollars per ton FOB. Taking into account the delivery to Romania, which is estimated at about 25-30 dollars per ton, the corresponding level is 555-570 euros per ton in the Romanian market, which generally coincides with the previous figures.
