According to Callanish, prices for rolled steel products in Italy remained stable this month amid a slight recovery in demand and an increase in orders after a prolonged period of decline in June.
It is said that some factories are reluctant to sell products at current prices, which fell in June and are now considered too low. Since the volume of orders is calculated until the end of August, they do not feel the need to accept today's levels and insist on raising prices.
They expect prices to rise sharply in September as new safeguards and CBAM make it more difficult to import. The expected increase in roll prices in September will also support the prices of rolled products, as buyers resume purchases in Europe.
Distributors, however, do not expect a recovery in prices for rolled products in the near future, as the volume of orders for processing remains consistently low. They also expect demand to rebound in September, with some price increases caused by new protective measures.
This week, prices for the S275 grade remain at 720 euros per ton (823.2 US dollars per ton) shipped from the factory, and for the S355 grade - about 740-750 euros per ton. According to sources, prices for slabs in Asia are stable and amount to $ 600 per ton compared to prices in Italy.
Meanwhile, some German buyers of rolled products are taking advantage of the pre-annual price cuts at Italian rolling mills, but these offers are not valid for everyone due to high transportation costs (see Kallanish of July 6).
Author: Natalia Kapra
Kallanish.com