HFS – Hagener Feinblech Service joins as Member of EUROMETAL
EUROMETAL is delighted to welcome HFS – Hagener Feinblech Service as a new Member company.
HFS Hagener Feinblech Service GmbH has been operating throughout Europe for over 30 years. With its dedicated team and modern production machinery HFS has been able to grow continuously over the years.
The independent steel service centre offers its customers competent consultation, flexible and quick order processing / completion. Companies from many different industries put their trust into our capabilities. For example the Automobile Industry, the Electro Industry the Construction Industry, as well as the Storage Industry, Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
The family run business is renowned in its field as one the most innovative and high-performing Service-Centre’s of it kind. Since it was founded in 1992, HFS has been offering its customers a high quality assortment of slit strips, sheets and coils which fulfil the customers’ differing demands and specifications.
The demand for high quality standards, efficiency and modern technological machinery guarantees our customers optimal material-flow, short processing times and guaranteed delivery performance…
Hagener Feinblech Service GmbH
Discover more: hfs-hagen.de
France’s steel product import value down 11.7 percent in 2024
According to the statistics released by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, in 2024 France’s basic steel product and ferroalloy imports amounted to a value of €9.51 billion, decreasing by 11.7 percent year on year. Exports amounted to a value of €9.64 billion, decreasing by 9.3 percent compared to 2023.
In the given year, France imported €1.99 billion of steel pipes and tubes – down 6.5 percent, €475.8 million of cold rolled steel bars – down by 10.9 percent, €683.8 million of cold rolled steel strip – dropping by 19.1 percent, €478.3 million of cold drawn wire – falling by 9.1 percent, and €2.64 billion of metal structures and parts – increasing by 2.3 percent, all compared to 2023.
In 2024, France exported €1.28 billion of steel pipes and tubes – down 5.2 percent, €428.6 million of cold rolled steel bars – down by 21.6 percent, €698.8 million of cold rolled steel strip – up three percent, €329.8 million of cold drawn wire – decreasing by 3.5 percent, and €902.6 million of metal structures and parts – rising by 0.7 percent, all compared to 2023.
UNESID: EU’s energy policies insufficient to reduce higher costs
The Spanish steelmakers association UNESID has criticized the European Union’s (EU) Clean Industrial Pact and Action Plan for Affordable Energy as insufficient, given that these measures do not effectively offers solutions for the high energy costs affecting the European steel industry.
The association underlined that wholesale energy prices in the EU are still above historical levels and are two to four times higher than those in countries such as the US and China. It stated that the European Commission (EC) has proposed some solutions such as the long-term power purchase agreements to reduce industrial energy costs. However, since these measures do not pass on the reduced generation costs of renewable energy to the industry, they have yet to offer any concrete benefits. UNESID believes that higher energy costs will sustain without a structural reform in the EU’s energy market.
As a result, UNESID has called on the EC to prepare clear guidelines for designing and implementing agreements that guarantee stable and competitive energy prices for energy-intensive industries. Even though low-carbon energy investments are the right move, their effects will be seen in the medium and long term, it said. Also, the industry is in need of immediate solutions to sustain and to remain competitive in the global market, it added.
“The European steel sector faces an unsustainable situation if structural measures are not adopted to reduce the cost of energy. We cannot wait years for investments in low-carbon energy to have an effect; we need immediate solutions to guarantee the competitiveness and viability of our industry and to advance decarbonization without putting thousands of jobs at risk,” Carola Hermoso, director general of UNESID, commented.
Czech-based Třinecké Železárny to increase energy independence with photovoltaic system
The Czech Republic’s largest steelmaker Třinecké Železárny has announced that it has commissioned its newly installed rooftop photovoltaic system within the scope of its decarbonization goals.
Accordingly, the system consisting of 224 solar panels with a capacity of 98.56 kWp in total was installed at the company’s social facilities building. All the generated energy will be directly used by Třinecké Železárny’s rolling mill.
As a result, the investment will not only contribute to the decarbonization of the company’s operations but also reduce its operating costs and increase its energy independence.
Polish rebar, wire rod prices slightly lower despite mills’ attempts to push for higher offers
Rebar
Official offers from Polish mills for March-production rebar were heard at 2,700 zloty ($699) per tonne CPT, according to sources.
One producer source told Fastmarkets they could drop the target level to 2,650 zloty per tonne CPT in some cases, citing this as the lowest level they would accept due to high production costs and rising scrap prices in the Polish market.
But some transactions were reported at 2,620-2,630 zloty per tonne CPT during the assessment week, Fastmarkets understands.
Buyer estimations for the tradeable market level were at 2,620-2,650 zloty per tonne CPT.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, cpt Poland was 2,620-2,650 zloty per tonne on Friday, down by 20-30 zloty per tonne from 2,650-2,670 zloty per tonne on February 28.
Prices for rebar in the Polish secondary market were heard at 2,650-2,700 zloty per tonne CPT.
One distributor source told Fastmarkets that demand for rebar remained comparatively weak and although slightly better compared with the last weeks of February.
“Only the nice weather is helping for now,” the source added.
Regarding imports, one Ukrainian supplier was heard to have stopped offering rebar to Poland due to some mill repairs.
Wire rod
Polish mills were heard offering March-production low-carbon drawing quality wire rod at 2,800-2,900 zloty per tonne CPT, sources told Fastmarkets.
No fresh transactions were heard during the assessment week.
A second distributor source told Fastmarkets that trading had improved slightly compared with the end of last year.
Fastmarkets sources estimated the workable market level at 2,750-2,850 zloty per tonne CPT, with the lower end of the price range considered tradeable for relatively big volumes of around 300 tonnes.
Fastmarkets’ price assessment for steel wire rod (drawing quality), domestic, delivered Poland was 2,750 -2,850 zloty per tonne on Friday, widening downward by 50 zloty per tonne from 2,800-2,850 zloty per tonne on February 28.
Local producers were heard offering mesh-grade wire rod at 2,680-2,700 zloty per tonne CPT, Fastmarkets understands.
In terms of imports, Ukraine was offering mesh-grade wire rod to Poland at €590 ($637) per tonne delivered on the border.
Italy was heard offering low-carbon drawing quality wire rod to Poland at €655-680 per tonne delivered, depending on the destination.
Some offers of low-carbon drawing quality wire rod from the Czech Republic to Poland were heard at €680-700 per tonne delivered.
European HRC prices hold steady despite limited trading, amid uncertainty over looming safeguards review
Sources have reported improved apparent demand for steel coil, especially in Northern Europe, in the past few weeks.
“Inquiries [for HRC] have picked up lately,” a mill sources in Northern Europe said. “We don’t sell big volumes, but there are 50 tonnes here, 500 tonnes there, so business keeps running and our order books are good.”
A distributor in Germany said that buyers were still cautious and unwilling to book big volumes for stock.
“[The buyers] expect more clarity on safeguards but, overall, market activity is back from the dead we saw in January,” the distributor said.
First-tier suppliers in Northern Europe claimed to be largely sold out in terms of HRC with April lead times.
Official offers were reported at €640-660 ($691-713) per tonne ex-works (or delivered) in Germany and the Benelux area.
Buyer estimates of the tradable values were reported at €620-630 per tonne ex-works. However, most sources agreed, that booking HRC at €620 per tonne ex-works “was almost impossible, especially for minor tonnages.”
Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at €631.38 per tonne on Friday, up by €0.44 per tonne from €630.94 per tonne on Thursday.
The Northern European index was up by €4.55 per tonne week on week and by €32.21 per tonne month on month.
Additionally, production interruptions at German steelmaker Salzgitter, after a fire in a hot-strip mill on February 28, also reduced the availability of HRC in the region, supporting bullish sentiment.
Fastmarkets’s sources estimated output losses as a result of the fire to be around 80,000 tonnes of HRC.
The company did not respond to Fastmarkets request for comment about production losses by the time of publication.
And in the week to Friday, there were no updates on the EU safeguards review, which was started in December and was expected to conclude by March 31, with any adjustments expected to come into force the following month.
Sources told Fastmarkets they had expected to see a World Trade Organization notification regarding the new measures in the week ending
February 28, but this did not happen because of “some last-moment changes.”
In Southern Europe, meanwhile, Fastmarkets’ daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Italy, was calculated at €620.00 per tonne on Friday, unchanged day on day.
The index was up by €7.50 per tonne week on week and by €27.50 per tonne month on month.
Sources told Fastmarkets that Italian mills were aiming for €640-660 per tonne delivered (€630-650 per tonne ex-works) for April-May delivery HRC.
This level has yet to be sealed in deals, however, and buyers said that achievable prices were closer to €610-620 per tonne ex-works.
“Buyers are being cautious with bookings because they want to see more clarity on safeguards,” a buyer in Italy said. “There are different rumors about HRC quotas, which could be cut by 30% or 50%, with steel semis being included. But nothing is clear until we see the document,” a buyer in Italy said.
In the secondary market, 4 mm HR sheet was on offer at €700 per tonne CPT, sources said, compared with €680-700 per tonne CPT in late February. But sources said sales were “not booming.”
The European market for imported HRC, meanwhile, has been largely quiet recently due to the looming safeguard measures review.
Most overseas suppliers were offering HRC to Europe with lead times in the second quarter, making imports increasingly risky if new safeguard measures come into effect in April.
From Asia, offers were reported at €550-570 per tonne CFR to Italy.
HRC from Turkey was on offer to Italy at €590-600 per tonne CFR, including the anti-dumping duty, sources told Fastmarkets. Several sources said that for big volumes it was possible to achieve €570-580 per tonne CFR.
One source reported a booking of Turkish material at €560-570 per tonne CFR to Italy, including the duty, but this could not be confirmed by the time of publication.
Iberian coil market doubts hikes amid weak demand
The Spanish and Portuguese hot rolled coil market is holding steady despite weak domestic demand and global trade uncertainties tied to US tariffs.
While large mills remain cautious, assessing how international trade policies will play out, local availability of HRC suggests that price increases might be more speculation than reality, at least for now, according to Kallanish sources.
“The reality is that here in Spain, HRC is available. Speculation about a potential price increase for April is more of a market rumour. What is clear is the persistent weakness in domestic demand, meaning customers will struggle to absorb higher prices,” one trader explains.
Another market participant confirms that local producers are not actively exporting and have not significantly increased their offers in recent weeks. He suggests that while prices are likely to remain steady in the short term, an increase could materialise towards the end of March.
“Service centres initially expected international prices to rise quickly due to the US tariffs, but this has not yet happened,” he notes. “Import activity has been quiet in recent weeks, as the European market awaits the announcement of European Commission safeguard measures. As a result, local mills are holding back on price increases for new orders.”
Spanish mills are currently quoting S235JR grade HRC at around €670-680/t ($728-738) delivered.
Todor Kirkov Bulgaria
ArcelorMittal shipment runs aground in Humber Estuary
A ship transporting ArcelorMittal steel is stuck in the Humber Estuary and could remain there for several weeks, Kallanish learns from sources.
The ship, H&S Wisdom, charted by ArcelorMittal, ran aground on 2 March in the estuary, en-route from Rotterdam to Gunness Wharf Port, near Scunthorpe. Attempts to free it have so far failed.
Shipping sources say the vessel could remain there throughout March, until the next high tide presents a better opportunity to free it, unless the cargo is removed from the ship before then.
Sources tell Kallanish there could be 1,600 tonnes of steel on the ship, which has a capacity of around 1,700t. UK stockists are now seeking information from the steelmaker to confirm whether their deliveries will be impacted by the situation.
It is unknown whether the vessel is transporting long or flat products, although one source indicates beams could be among the cargo.
The steelmaker is believed to be reviewing logistics options, including trans-shipments to remove the cargo from the grounded vessel in a bid to reduce delays to customers.
Market sources say they expect the steel to be offloaded within the next week.
ArcelorMittal has been contacted by Kallanish for comment.
Carrie Bone UK
Acciaierie Venete acquires drawing mill, continues vertical integration
Italian long steel producer Acciaierie Venete is expanding its vertical integration strategy by acquiring local drawing mill Trafilerie San Paolo. This follows the purchase of distributor Euro Sider Scalo.
The latest deal is subject to authorisation from the Italian antitrust entity, Autorità Garante Della Concorrenza E Del Mercato (AGCM).
The acquisition aligns with the company’s strategy of increasing its position in the high-quality steel drawing industry, establishing synergies across the value chain and extending its product portfolio.
“This merger is consistent with Acciaierie Venete’s long-standing verticalisation process, as well as the recent investment made at the Sarezzo plant in a new rolling mill capable of manufacturing the whole wire rod range,” president Alessandro Banzato says in a note obtained by Kallanish.
The company is also investing in its Padua steelworks, northern Italy, with the order of a second straightening line from local equipment maker Danieli.
In parallel, it is expanding its product portfolio to produce wire rod at its plant in Sarezzo, near Brescia. In 2023, it ordered a new wire rod line from Danieli, scheduled to become operational in 2025. Sarezzo is equipped with a rolling mill producing straight and coiled quality bar. The meltshop, previously also installed by Danieli, will feed the new line to produce special steel smooth rounds from 5.5-25mm diameter.
In 2023, Acciaierie Venete started negotiations to buy three facilities in France from special steel producer Ascometal, part of Swiss Steel, in line with its ambition to boost its presence in Europe. The sale was however terminated (see Kallanish passim).
Acciaierie Venete has a capacity of 2 million tonnes/year of long products. In 2023, the company generated a turnover of €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion).
Natalia Capra France
Liberty Pipes Hartlepool begins offshore contract production
Liberty Pipes Hartlepool has started production for a major UK energy infrastructure contract it secured in 2024, Kallanish learns.
The project will see the company supply pipelines for a key new UK energy infrastructure project led by the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) and Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power).
The contract comprises 105km of offshore pipeline infrastructure, which will be used to transport CO2 to the Endurance carbon capture storage facility in the North Sea below the seabed.
Liberty will utilise Greentec steel plate sourced from Voestalpine, Austria.
Manufacturing of the carbon steel line pipe will continue until the third quarter, the company says.
The contract is one of eight engineering, procurement and construction packages awarded by NEP/NZT Power with a combined value of around £4 billion ($5.17 billion).
Liberty Steel chief transformation officer Jeff Kabel says: “Following months of meticulous planning, mill preparation, recruitment, and training, Liberty Pipes Hartlepool is proud to announce the start of manufacturing for the NEP and NZT Power projects.”
“It is flagship project and hopefully one of many similar projects in the UK, and internationally, that the business hopes to be involved in. Liberty Pipes Hartlepool has an extensive track record in the North Sea and now, in line with our long-term strategy, we are pleased to extend our involvement in support of new Energy Transition infrastructure,” he adds.
Carrie Bone UK