European Heavy Metals Price Overview: European heavy metals have been trading sideways since the start of the holidays

European sheet metal prices remained mostly stable during the week to July 31, as the market entered a summer downturn. It was reported that the demand for ,

The European market has been weak, but the volume of orders for mills remains limited due to lower import availability following the entry into force of the EU's Increased Tariff Quotas (TRQ) regime in early July.

In North-Western Europe, prices for commercial grade s235jr were quoted in a wide range and ranged from 820 euros per ton from the factory in Germany, while in Italy thick-rolled products were available at 690-700 euros per ton from the factory, although some prices, especially related to project demand, were higher and they amounted to 710 euros-750/ton from the factory. In general, market participants expect prices to rise as soon as trade significantly recovers after the end of summer, and there will be several weeks of calm in between.

German sources report very limited volumes available for the production of fresh September produce, both due to purchases ahead of an expected price increase after the holidays and due to reservations for 250,000 tons for the new season. The project, which is being implemented in the United States, has led to significant purchases from German factories for delivery later this year. As a result, it was reported that only one German plant had total spot volumes left – possibly until the end of 2026 – while otherwise supplies were limited to special or affiliated customers. The cost of rolling slabs

Which are especially high in Italy, according to available data, are 560-580 USD per ton CIF, approaching the lower limit of the specified range. Large buyers expected to conclude deals with a small discount of about 550 USD per ton of CIF and reported renewed aggression from foreign manufacturers in the semi-finished steel segment after the EU imposed duty-free duties on their traditional exports of finished steel.

Written by Benjamin Stephen and Maria Tanatar