Category: Latest Updates

Der Bau der neuen Produktionsstätte von 247TailorSteel in Hilden geht gut voran. Das Gebäude steht und der Betonboden in den Hallen ist gegossen. Die Anlage des Außengeländes und die Innenwände der Gebäude sind fast fertig. Momentan wird noch an den Installationen und der Fassadenveredelung der Geschäftsstelle gearbeitet.

“Dank der neuen Produktionsstätte wird die wachsende Zahl unserer deutschen Kunden schon bald von noch besserem Service und schnellerer Lieferung profitieren”, sagt Florian Matt, Sales Director von 247TailorSteel.

Über das Online-Portal Sophia® können die Kunden Ihre Bestellung 24 Stunden am Tag und an 7 Tagen die Woche aufgeben. Diese wird innerhalb von 48 Stunden oder zu dem von dem Kunden gewünschten Zeitpunkt geliefert! Die Produktionsstätte wird voraussichtlich im dritten Quartal 2020 voll einsatzbereit sein.

Wer neugierig geworden ist, für den steht hier ein kleines Video zur Verfügung, das zeigt, wie die Bauarbeiten ab ihrem Beginn verlaufen sind.

Autor: von Hubert Hunscheidt

24.06.2020

Die Stimmung auf dem europäischen Stahlmarkt ist im Juni vorsichtig optimistisch. Die Nachfrage beginnt sich zu verbessern, wenn auch bescheiden, nachdem die Sperrungen und die Einschränkungen des Coronavirus auf dem gesamten Kontinent gelockert wurden.

Langsam erwacht das Leben wieder und der Stahlverbrauch steigt. Viele Unternehmen mussten Verluste von 50 Prozent und mehr hinnehmen. Die Baubranche zeigt zufriedenstellende Nachfrage im Gegensatz zu den Automobilherstellern, die die Krise am stärksten getroffen hat.

Die europäischen Stahlhändler und Servicecenter zeigen ausreichend Vorrat. Da jedoch kurzfristig Cashflow generiert werden muss, kann es durch Lagerabbau zu einem Preisverfall kommen. Dies kann mittelfristig durchaus zu einer Versorgungsknappheit führen, vor allem für Kunden die kurzfristig große Mengen benötigen.

Durch das langsame Hochfahren der Stahlproduktion rechnet der britische Marktanalyst MEPS mit einer Straffung des Marktes, um die Stahltransaktionen nach oben zu treiben.

Die höheren Rohstoffkosten der vergangenen Monate und der schwächelnde Stahlabsatz setzt die Gewinnmargen der Werke unter Druck. Daher dürften die europäischen Stahlhersteller im 3. Quartal wohl versuchen, die Preise am Markt anzuheben. 

Vor allem die Automobilbranche sollte mit den Konjunkturmaßnahmen der europäischen Regierungen gestützt werden. Da jedoch vor allem die Produktion von Elektrofahrzeugen gefördert wird, die die derzeit geringsten Produktions- und Absatzmengen generieren, werden die Maßnahmen kaum dazu beitragen, die Stahlnachfrage in der Automobilindustrie anzukurbeln. Dennoch werden die Finanzspritzen für die Wirtschaft helfen, dass sich der europäische Stahlmarkt erholt.

Allmählicher Aufschwung erwartet

Voraussichtlich im Herbst wird sich eine deutliche Erholung der Wirtschaft zeigen, wenn nicht eine zweite Welle von Covid-19-Infektionen alle Bemühungen zunichte macht. Insgesamt erwartet MEPS auch in 2021 ein weiteres Wachstum, das aber mengenmäßig wohl unter den Produktionsmengen von 2019 bleiben wird.

Quelle: MEPS International Ltd. / Vorschaufoto: marketSTEEL

Autor: von Hubert Hunscheidt

23.06.2020

Sheffield (GB) –  Ab dem 1. Juli 2020 werden geänderte Schutzmaßnahmen für die EU-Stahlindustrie angewandt. Dazu gehören auch neue länderspezifische Quoten für warmgewalzte Coilimporte und die vierteljährliche Verwaltung der Quotenmengen für alle Produkte.

Viele nordische Händler und Endverbraucher befürchten, dass diese Änderungen die Versorgung mit importiertem Material negativ beeinflussen. Umgekehrt behaupten die europäischen Stahlproduzenten, dass das gesamte Importvolumen während der aktuellen Krise weiter eingeschränkt werden sollte.

Die Maßnahmen wurden von der Europäischen Kommission eingeführt, um schwerwiegende Schäden infolge der zunehmenden Einfuhren und Handelsumlenkungen zu verhindern, die durch die Entscheidung der Vereinigten Staaten verursacht wurden, Stahlerzeugnisse gemäß Abschnitt 232 zu verzollen. Der deutliche Rückgang der Stahlnachfrage infolge der Coronavirus-Pandemie hat zu Forderungen geführt, dass Einfuhrquoten gesenkt werden sollten, um die bedrängten europäischen Stahlproduzenten zu schützen. Dennoch hat die EG ihre Pläne beibehalten, das jährliche Quotenvolumen ab dem 1. Juli um drei Prozent zu erhöhen.

Obwohl mehrere Länder die Beschränkungen im Zusammenhang mit Covid-19 lockern, bleibt der Verbrauch der Endverbraucher in ganz Europa verhalten. Viele Kunden haben ihre Lagerbestände Anfang des Jahres aufgebaut. Folglich übersteigt die Verfügbarkeit von Stahl die Nachfrage. In Nordeuropa fielen die Mühlenpreise für Spiral- und Blechprodukte im Juni um fünf bis dreizehn Prozent. Die Automobilindustrie hat hier eine Schlüsselfunktion.

Die Nachfrage nach verzinktem Blech in Dänemark wird schwach bleiben, solange die Aktivitäten im europäischen Automobilsektor gedrückt bleiben. Verkäufer von beschichteten Blechen und Spulen in Finnland sind stark von den Auto-Lieferketten in Schweden und Deutschland abhängig, die weiterhin verhalten sind.

Die schwedischen Autohersteller verstärken ihre Geschäftstätigkeit, bleiben jedoch weit unter dem normalen Niveau. Die Aktivitäten der lokalen Lkw-Hersteller nehmen zu, aber Volvo AB hat kürzlich angekündigt, weltweit 4100 Stellen abzubauen.

Die anhaltend geringe Nachfrage und die sofortige Verfügbarkeit von Stahl werden die Bemühungen der Hersteller, die Verkaufspreise kurzfristig zu erhöhen, einschränken. Die neuen Importquoten werden am 1. Juli eröffnet.

Über MEPS

MEPS International Ltd. ist ein führendes Stahlmarktanalyseunternehmen, das sich auf unabhängig untersuchte globale Stahlpreise, -indizes und -prognosen spezialisiert hat. Das Unternehmen wurde 1979 von Peter Fish gegründet und begann als Beratungsunternehmen mit dem Namen Management, Engineering and Production Services in Sheffield – daher auch der Name MEPS. In den späten 1980er Jahren wurde das Unternehmen in MEPS Europe Ltd. umbenannt, im Juli 2001 wurde daraus MEPS International Ltd., um die weltweite Abdeckung seiner Stahlpreisforschung widerzuspiegeln.


Über Stainless Steel Review

Der MEPS Stainless Steel Review ist ein monatlicher Leitfaden für die internationalen Edelstahlpreise und enthält die neuesten globalen Analysen der Edelstahlindustrie.

Trade association UK Steel will ask Eurofer to lobby the European Commission to support mutual exemption from one another’s safeguard measures by the EU and UK.

The UK will exit the customs union at the end of 2020 and its government has committed to introducing its own safeguard measures. Given the European Commission is staying tight-lipped on this issue, UK Steel hopes that a first move by the UK government, supported by Eurofer, could get the Commission talking. It may otherwise soon be too late to give the necessary certainty to the market, and this could lead to quotas and tariffs being imposed between the UK and EU.

“It is no one’s interests to see unnecessary disruption to steel trade between the EU and UK at the end of this year,” UK Steel director Gareth Stace tells Kallanish. “A mutual exemption, or the certainty of TRQs for each other, could be agreed to now, and would provide steel producers and customers alike on both sides of the Channel the certainty to continue to buy and sell without the fear of tariffs come 2021. This is the best outcome for all.”

European steelmakers believe the EU’s proposed safeguard review has not gone nearly far enough to protect the bloc’s local industry from the increased threat of imports resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Non-EU suppliers are seen targeting the bloc once the economy recovers. “Global stocks are high and this metal will soon be looking for a market opportunity at any cost. Even if that is at the cost of European steel plants,” Stace said following last week’s Eurofer board meeting.

UK Steel’s quarterly meeting of its ‘Product Groups’ Committee also met last week. Across the board, companies reported unprecedented falls in demand across the vast majority of consuming sectors – most notably construction and automotive – from March onwards. “Whilst there are some signs of a small pick-up in recovery in June, in line with the construction and manufacturing PMIs rising above 50 again, most expected the recovery to be a slow return to normal demand levels,” UK Steel said.

European steel demand for construction could decline -10% on-year in 2020 but the EU’s €750 million ($842m) recovery fund should cushion coronavirus-driven effects to ensure it does not fall further, according to Bloomberg.

Constriction output fell sharply in March as lockdown measures hit. However, construction companies have maintained strong order books with book-to-build timescales in excess of 12 months. Civil engineering remains the least-affected sector, where Bloomberg’s scenario analysis points to a decrease of -7% in 2020 and a recovery in 2021 of 7% and 3.5% in 2022.

European steel demand from the automotive sector is likely to slump -20% in 2020. “The industry is facing a challenging recovery from the coronavirus lockdown, given demand was already on a downward cyclical path in 2019,” Bloomberg says in a research note sent to Kallansish. Analysis suggests steel demand from European automakers is likely to be down -40-50% in the first half of 2020, but could rebound 5% in H2.

German auto production and exports continue to lag the recovery in domestic sales, with both down about -66% in May.

Plant and Machinery is the third largest consumer of steel in Europe, where demand could decline -18% in 2020, Bloomberg says. “German plant and machinery orders were down just over -9% in 2019, hurt by the U.S.-China trade conflict, which spurred Chinese exports to fall,” Bloomberg adds. “China’s economy has since rebounded and may be the catalyst for a 2H recovery of 5-10% in plant and machinery steel demand.”

Bloomberg’s base case is destocking across the value chain exacerbating European steel demand weakness. However, apparent demand has not fallen to 2009 levels. The European steel industry already destocked about 4 million tonnes in 2019, but another 8mt is expected to exit this year. European steel producer commentary points to significant destocking.

“The reduction in finished steel inventories was 15 million tonnes in 2009,” Bloomberg says. “A sluggish demand pick-up could see this effect playing out in 2H, we believe, with any potential restocking delayed until 2021.”

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has issued its latest forecast, expecting car registrations to fall by -25% this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The previous forecast issued in January indicated registrations in the EU were expected to fall -2%, but the sector has been one of the most hit by the sanitary emergency.

“The industry association expects car sales in the European Union to tumble by more than 3 million from 12.8 million units in 2019 to some 9.6 million units this year,” ACEA explains in a note seen by Kallanish.

So far, the industry has contracted more than -40% year-on-year, with a partial recovery expected in the coming months as lockdowns ease. If the forecast is confirmed, nevertheless, the sales volume of cars will be the lowest since 2013, when the industry was still suffering from the 2008-2009 crisis.

Bloomberg issued a similar outlook this week, indicating that car sales should go down -20% y-o-y this year. The firm added that it expected steel demand from automakers in Europe to be down -40-50% y-o-y in H1, only to rebound by 5% y-o-y in H2.

Gallardo Balboa says it is concluding the sale of its assets to a local industrial group and refinancing its debt.

The Spanish steelmaking group specialised in the supply of light long products for the construction sector was acquired at the end of last year by investment fund Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). The move was designed to save the company from insolvency. The board of Gallardo Balboa has been working on a long-term solution for the company since November last year, which includes the acquisition by an industrial group, for which negotiations are very advanced.

The coronavirus emergency has somewhat delayed the conclusion of the deal, but Gallardo Balboa says it is still operational despite making use of the temporary layoff scheme for some units, Kallanish notes.

Local press in Spain report the buyer of the company could be Megasa, which has steel operations in Spain and Portugal.

Czech construction output is forecast to fall -2% on-year in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic impact, following 2.6% growth in 2019, industry participants say in the latest edition of CEEC Research’s Czech construction report. Output is then seen inching down a further -0.4% in 2021.

The construction industry is faring better during the crisis than other sectors. In March, construction output fell by only -2.3% year-on-year in real terms, which was less than expected. Although the sector confidence index fell by 3.1 points on-month in the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) business survey for May, meanwhile, it was still at a high value of 104.2. Moreover, employment expectations over the next three months rose slightly.

Building construction is seen falling -2.4% this year, but civil engineering construction should fall by a less steep -1.4%, Kallanish notes.

“There is a risk of a slight decline in the market, mainly due to reduced demand from private builders (investors),” Czech industry and trade minister Karel Havlicek says of the construction sector. “In order to mitigate the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, contracts awarded by state investor organisations, in particular the Directorate of Roads and Motorways and the Railway Administration, will be very important.”

The Czech State Fund for Transport Infrastructure budget has been increased by CZK 20 billion ($836.5 million) to CZK 106.5 billion ($4.45 billion), and negotiations are ongoing to raise this further to CZK 114 billion, Havlicek adds.

Tomas Koranda, chairman of construction firm Hochtief CZ, however, says “…there will be a further slowdown in the economy and a decline in state budget revenues with a dramatic increase in extraordinary expenditures. This will lead to a consequent reduction in public investment expenditure, and it is therefore possible to expect the suspension of some public contracts or the postponement or cancellation of some contracts.”

Czech Republic’s main construction steel supplier is Liberty Ostrava, while compatriot steelmakers Trinecke Zelezarny and Vitkovice Steel supply mainly other end-use sectors.

Ukraine’s steel output decreased by 10.4% on the year to 1.64 million metric tons in May, down from 1.83 million mt produced in May 2019 due to weak demand and falling prices on world markets amid the coronavirus pandemic, steel making industry association Ukrmetallurgprom said June 25.

“The drop in steel output shows that the crisis in the Ukrainian steel industry continues,” Ukrmetallurgprom said in a statement. “The main reasons for the decline in production of basic metallurgical products, along with the global quarantine, are lower prices and reduced demand for metal products.”

Production of rolled steel dropped by 16.3% on the year to 1.46 million mt and pig iron output fell 0.2% to 1.67 million mt.

Coke output decreased by 12.2% on the year to 805,000 mt in May, down from 917,000 mt produced in May 2019.

Ukraine’s steel industry, which employs 700,000 workers, has asked the government for support to stimulate domestic demand and to make sure that power prices and transportation tariffs remain steady to make sure the sector can weather the crisis.

The association urged the government to cut tariffs for transportation by railroad and seaport handling for the country’s steel sector to stay afloat.

“The steel industry of Ukraine needs a competent state industrial policy to ensure favorable tariffs, provide quality service by state transport monopolies, create conditions for expanding investment in the [manufacturing sector and the related process of increasing metal consumption and protection,” Ukrmetallurgprom said. “Otherwise, the situation could turn into a catastrophe for Ukraine’s economic stability and national security.”

In January through May, Ukraine’s production of steel decreased by 10.5% on the year to 8.295 million mt from 9.27 million mt in January-May 2019, according to Ukrmetallurgprom.

Output of steel pipes and tubes dropped 29.8% on the year to 330,000 mt in January-May, production of pig iron fell 6.5% to 8.158 million mt and rolled steel output fell 6.2% to 7.43 million mt.

Production of coke decreased by 9.1% on the year to 4.02 million mt in the period, down from 4.421 million mt produced in January-May 2019.

As of June 16, out of 21 blast furnaces 18 were in operation in Ukraine, the association said. Also in operation were four out of eight open-hearth furnaces, 14 out of 16 converters, six out of 15 electric furnaces and 15 out of 16 continuous billet casting machines.

In 2019, Ukraine reduced steel output 1.4% on the year to 20.8 million mt, according to Ukrmetallurgprom.

— Alexander Bor

French authorities are rumoured to be considering a solution to unite the steelmaking plant of Ascoval and the rail mill of Hayange under one new owner.

The units have been linked by strategic supply partnerships for some years now, but local authorities believe they could be strengthened by a merger dedicated to the production of high-value added rail, Kallanish notes.

Ascoval is controlled by Greybull, but the investment fund has indicated it would be willing to sell the unit. It can produce between 250,000-600,000 tonnes/year of continuous cast bar, depending on the product mix, through the electric arc furnace route.

Hayange, on the other hand, was formerly controlled by British Steel but was not included in the UK steelmaker’s sale to Chinese group Jingye. The local government has been looking for a new buyer for Hayange for some time, but the coronavirus spread has somewhat slowed this process.

The French press reports that sources close to the matter have indicated ArcelorMittal, Liberty Steel and the same Jingye as potential buyers of the Ascoval and Hayange mills.