Buying activity on the steel market in northern Europe is declining. Participants in the supply chain begin to reduce their inventory before the end of the calendar year. Market trends are not expected to change unless consumption increases or production capacity decreases.
Danish suppliers report low demand for hot rolled coils. Sellers struggle to find new markets. In Sweden, end users have a lot of work to do, but they want to control their inventory. In Finland, prices continue to decline, although local demand is balanced by supply. In the Netherlands, delivery times from factories have been reduced to a minimum. Orders for the fourth quarter in Austria are rare. In the Norwegian market, the silence is deeper than before the summer holidays.
Demand for hot rolled sheet in Sweden is declining. In Finland, the shipbuilding industry is performing better than most other sectors, but Russian manufacturers are active. Sales in Austria are balanced, but buying activity is low. Norwegian participants report signs of a slowdown in the offshore segment.
The decline in German automotive activity leads to a decrease in exports from all markets in the region, which negatively affects sales of cold rolled steel coils, as well as coated sheets and coils. No recovery is expected until spring 2020.
