Day: 28 August 2026

Germany’s stockholding steel distributors sold 4.95 million tonnes of products in the first half of the year, around 130,000t more than in H1 2025, according to distributors’ association Bundesverband Deutscher Stahlhandel (BDS).

While this marks a year-on-year increase, it should be noted that H1 in 2025 and 2024 saw y-on-y falls of around 100,000t, respectively.

The first two quarters of 2026 were broadly similar with 2.495mt sold in Q1, and 2.455mt in Q2, Kallanish learns from BDS. The average sales volume per month was 818,300t.

Split by product group, long products on average accounted for 1.565mt (up from 1.475mt), and flat products for 2.929mt (up from 2.904mt). Miscellaneous other products, such as wire rod, accounted for 472,000t (up from 448,000t)

Distributors sold 848,000t in June, nearly 70,000t more than in June 2025. BDS provides no interpretation of the increase, however, its likely that the base effect of particularly low prior-year sales had some impact. The increase of this year’s sales over last year’s was already seen in the first quarter.

In terms of inventory tonnage, the monthly average was 1.896mt in Q1 and 1.884mt in Q2, both slightly below the prior-year value. Inventories of long products on average in the second quarter were 617,000t, flat products stood at 1.229mt, and miscellaneous products at 38,000t.

This remains below the monthly average inventory of 2mt in 2022. Since early 2023, only three months, July 2023, February 2024 and April 2024 have eclipsed that level.

Stainless long steel maker Cogne has expanded the truck fleet at its German distribution centre in Bremen, Kallanish learns.

The unit Cogne Edelstahl has added another large-size tandem trailer truck to strengthen its independence for deliveries.

The company highlights the investment as a “clear answer” to stricter requirements and increasing time pressure at its customers.

It has conducted a survey among its customers, which it says has underlined the significance of reliable logistics. In the poll, 95% of respondents gave reliability as the prime criterion for selecting a supplier. Nearly 76% cited timeliness as their most critical challenge while 84% highlighted the importance of local contacts and short distances.

The warehouse is located in northern Germany in Stuhr near Bremen but will also fill in for jobs from Cogne’s house in Neuss, for deliveries to the Ruhr and the Sauerland.

Bottlenecks in the transportation system in Germany and neighbour countries have become an increasing challenge in the past two years.

Another northern German distributor highlights the increasing advantage of an in-house fleet, as prices for standard spot transports at hauliers have risen by up to 50%, sometimes reaching above €1,000 ($1,165).

A reliable picture of coil price trends will not emerge before September, northwestern European players believe. 

With many countries still on vacation, August has not brought any increase or decline to price levels, given the limited market activity.

At least one mill has stopped giving out offers at all, and apparently others have followed, buyers say. Buyers now expect that mills will return at month’s end with new prices.

A Benelux service centre manager tells of orders for hot-rolled coil at the beginning of the month reportedly booked at €720–735/tonne ($840-857/t) delivered. He notes that offers of up to €750/t delivered have emerged in the meantime but dismisses them as unaccepted.

Even the lower level of around €740/t delivered, the target defined by the market leader in July, is seen not workable by several buyers.

“You need to be brave to pay that,” a German buyer tells Kallanish. It would mean adding €20/t to his sales prices, which his customers would not accept. “The market is just too weak for that,” he adds.

Prices for cold-rolled and hot-dip galvanized coil do not deviate from the trend of HRC, with a premium of €100/t.

“Remarkably, the price of HDG is again nearly that of CRC,” a Dutch buyer for construction says, assessing both at €820-835/t delivered.

He expects mills to try an increase of €25-30/t but sees little chance that it will be accepted in the quiet market. In Germany, where roughly half of the population is still on school vacation, signals of movement are not expected before mid-September.

Given the lack of competition from imports, buyers do not expect prices to weaken, either but they warn mills of flexing their muscles too much.

“If mills set the mark too high, they might end up selling for less than they said, and that would be a bad signal for the market,” the German buyer says.

European domestic long steel prices remained largely stable in the week to Wednesday August 27, although Italian domestic rebar prices adjusted upward as market participants gradually returned from summer holidays and mills resumed production across the region.
“Clients are starting to come back, check stocks, talk about new orders,” a seller source told Fastmarkets.

Market participants described the market as largely subdued, with demand remaining limited across the region and only a small number of transactions heard during the assessment week.

“Market only reopened this week and so far it feels a bit quieter and slower than usual,” a buyer source told Fastmarkets.

In Italy, tradable levels for rebar were heard at €690-760 ($805-887) per tonne ex-works. Deals were heard at €690-750 per tonne ex-works, with smaller tonnages traded at the upper end of the range, at €730 per tonne in northern Italy and €750 per tonne in southern Italy.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Italy, was adjusted upward at €690-750 per tonne on Wednesday August 27.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Spain, was unchanged at €750 per tonne on the same day.

Meanwhile, workable levels for rebar in Northern Europe were heard at €710-730 per tonne delivered.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, remained unchanged at €710-730 per tonne on August 27.

In Southern Europe, tradable levels for mesh-quality wire rod were heard at €660-680 per tonne delivered.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was unchanged at €660-680 per tonne on August 27.

In Northern Europe, tradable levels for mesh-quality wire rod were heard at €705-715 per tonne delivered.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was unchanged at €705-715 per tonne on the same day.