Aperam pushes up alloy surcharges again

French stainless steel producer Aperam has increased alloy surcharges again for May, for its austenitic range of flat stainless steels for Europe, by over €400/tonne ($424) on average versus April, Kallanish notes.

The surcharge for grade 304 (1.4301) has gone up from €3,282/t in April to €3,656/t, effective 1 May. For grade 316, it has increased from €4,817/t to €5,338/t. Grade 309S, a heat-resistant stainless steel used in high-temperature applications, has also seen its value increase from €4,531/t for April to €5,328/t in May. The surcharge for the most popular ferritic grade, 409, has gone up from €1,071/t in April to €1,180/t, the company reveals.

Offers for nickel cash buyers reached $32,825/t on 26 April, Kallanish notes.

European stainless steel hot and cold rolled coil prices are increasing due to hiking alloy surcharges. Demand in Europe, however, has reached a standoff due to unsustainably high prices.

Outokumpu has also increased its surcharges for May. The new figure for grade 304 (1.4301) is €3,844/t, up from €3,251/t in April. According to the formula applied by all steelmakers to calculate coil prices, €3,844/t will be added to the base price of €1,600/t. This gives a new value for CRC of over €5,400/t delivered, a price considered unacceptable by many buyers (see Kallanish 25 April).

Natalia Capra France