CBAM implementation continues as planned
The European Commission has informed EUROMETAL that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will come fully into force from 1 January 2026, as planned, the European steel distributors association notes.
In response to a EUROMETAL request for urgent clarification, the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union asserted: “The date of coming into effect of CBAM on 1 January 2026 is EU Law. It can only change with a legal proposal by the European Commission and the agreement of the European Parliament and the European Council. There is no such proposal on the table.”
This comes following multiple instances over recent weeks of steel market participants suggesting CBAM implementation could be delayed.
In one high-profile case, Danish stainless steel distributor Dacapo suggested last month the measure would be postponed since several key variables – such as official benchmarks and default values – remain unavailable. The International Association of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (IACBAM) also said the CBAM implementation timeline, in its current form, remains a serious concern for many of its members.
The Commission is expected to publish the CBAM benchmarks in the fourth quarter. This will be accompanied by a legislative proposal extending CBAM to downstream products and introducing additional anti-circumvention measures.
Adam Smith Austria
Polish domestic long steel prices stable amid summer lull
Steel wire rod and rebar prices in Poland remained stable in the week to Friday August 22, with sources linking the trend to the current slowdown of the market during summer.
“Demand is not that great at this time of the year, during the holiday period,” a producer source said.
“However, prices seemed to have bottomed out and we expect that they will soon start to go up again,” they added.
Prices for Polish domestic low-carbon drawing-quality wire rod were stable in the week to Friday, sources said.
Earlier this week, trade sources told Fastmarkets that they heard some Polish steelmakers had lowered their wire rod prices to around €590 ($691) per tonne ex-works, but this was not confirmed.
Fastmarkets’ price assessment for steel wire rod (drawing quality), domestic, delivered Poland was 2,580-2,650 zloty ($710-729) per tonne on Friday, unchanged week on week.
Polish domestic prices for steel rebar were also stable in the week to Friday, trade sources told Fastmarkets.
Market participants estimated the tradable price for rebar at 2,400-2,450 zloty per tonne CPT on Friday.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, cpt Poland was also 2,400-2,450 zloty per tonne on Friday, unchanged week on week.
EU confirms CBAM to begin in January 2026 despite market rumors
The European Federation of Steel, Tubes and Metals Distribution & Trade (EUROMETAL) has confirmed that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will come into force on January 1, 2026, as originally legislated. This announcement follows EUROMETAL’s request for urgent clarification after rumors circulated in the market about a possible delay.
Although the start date for CBAM has been set at January 1, 2026, sales of SKDM certificates for embedded emissions in goods imported in 2026 will begin in 2027.
EU commission confirms no delay
In an official reply, the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) stated that the date for the coming into effect of CBAM on January 1, 2026, is EU Law. It can only change with a legal proposal by the European Commission and the agreement of the European Parliament and the European Council. There is no such proposal on the table.
The Commission also emphasized that it does not comment on market speculation or rumors.
What this means for the steel industry
The clarification ensures that the fiscal phase of CBAM will begin as scheduled in January 2026, providing certainty for steel importers, distributors, and downstream users.
EUROMETAL reassured its members that it will monitor CBAM’s implementation closely and share timely updates as further official guidance becomes available.
European heavy plate round-up: the summertime slowdown
European heavy plate prices remained stable in the week to 22 August due to the summertime slowdown, although some mills have made attempts to increase prices.
Italian re-rollers have been offering heavy plate at EUR620-630/t ex-works, but trade has been thin with only a limited number of transactions with buyers outside the country reported at around EUR610/t ex-works. Activity in the Italian market remained muted due to the holiday season.
Offers and deals for imported slab from China have been heard at $510-520/t CFR Italy.
And semi-finished steel products from North Africa have been available at $500/t CFR and from Iran – at around $450/t CFR.
In September, when both buyers and sellers return to the market, Italian plate mills are expecting to push for higher prices citing the need to cover slab costs and seasonal demand recovery.
German mills have been offering plate at EUR680-690/t ex-works. But some sources said that one of the country’s mills has been ready to trade at EUR650/t ex-works due to lack of long-term contracts and orders from projects.
The number of offers from Central Europe has been limited, as Romania’s Liberty Galati has been idled after a failed restart attempt. Poland’s Huta Czestochowa has been focused on sales in the local market, reaching out to a limited number of buyers in eastern Germany.
And the Czech Republic’s Vitkovice Steel has been offering the material at EUR650/t ex-works, making the price, taking into account transportation costs, workable only to buyers in the east of Germany. The mill was reported to have solid order books and it was unlikely to give discounts.
| European heavy plate prices | Unit | Term | Marker | Change |
| Weekly heavy plate | ||||
| Northwest Europe ex-works heavy plate | EUR/t | EX-WORKS | 670 | 0 |
| Germany delivered heavy plate (Northwest Europe) | EUR/t | DEL | 680 | 0 |
| Italy ex-works heavy plate | EUR/t | EX-WORKS | 610 | 0 |
| Weekly steel slab | ||||
| Italy CFR slab | $/t | CFR | 510 | 0 |
| Weekly Green steel | ||||
| Green heavy plate premium (scopes 1-3 CO2 1t) | EUR/t | 25 | 0 |
Maria Tanatar Associate Director, Steel and Green Steel
German distributors’ volumes in 2024 matched 2023
Germany’s steel distributors sold 9.4 million tonnes of finished product in 2024, almost exactly the same tonnage as the prior year, Kallanish learns from stockists federation BDS.
The year began with nationwide inventory of 1.78mt, the lowest level since the beginning of records after the German reunification 1990. At the end of the year, the level was 4% lower, which would make the current year the one with the lowest tonnage at start since 1990.
Final sales volume at the distributors was up by only 335t versus 2023, according to the federation.
“2018 was the last good year for Germany’s stockholders,” BDS chief economist Jörg Feger comments on the statistics. “2019 heralded a weaker economic environment and structural changes” and was then followed by the disruption caused by Covid-19.
The most notable negative changes in volume are reported for pipes and fittings, which fell by 7% to 1.17mt. In comparison with the record achieved in 2008, this is 35% less, BDS notes.
Coil and sheet products lost to a lesser extent, although hot-rolled coil in particular fell 8% year-on-year, to 1.11mt. BDS believes that larger volumes were sold from mills directly to customers, skipping distributors, or from warehouses outside Germany, suggesting increasing competition from imports.
Cold-rolled strip products stayed virtually stable at 1.18mt. Surface coated coil/strip, the largest single product at 2.72mt, fell by 2.3%.
Heavy plate, also affected by competition from foreign warehouses, lost 1.7%, selling 745,000t in total.
Of long products, sections and beams fell by 1.1% to 870,000t. BDS notes this is a very low level compared with the earlier year. Inventories at the end of the year were 130,000t, down 4.4%, also setting a new record low.
On the positive side, sales of bar products rose on-year. Rebar reached 1.17mt, up 3.9%. However, this is only a slight recovery of the 19% drop seen in 2023. That was when a recession in construction activity kicked in, after the segment had flourished in prior years.
Other bar – merchant bar as well as special bar qualities (SBQ) – recovered by 1.1% to 788,000t. Of the total, SBQ accounted for 40%, more than double its proportion in prior years. The share of SBQs in the total has more than doubled since the 1990 to now 40%, BDS notes.
Due to rounding, the sum of the product groups appears higher than the total figure of 9.4mt.
Christian Koehl Germany
European coil and green steel round-up: EU HRC prices hold stable, some mills increase offers
Prices for hot-rolled coil in the European Union remained stable in the week to 22 August amid a seasonally slow market, although some steelmakers increased offers.
Bullish market sentiment prevailed among market participants, but they believe that the expected price recovery in September would mainly be driven by upcoming policy changes, including the EU’s safeguard alternative and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The risks related to those changes have made buyers less interested in imports.
“No one is crazy enough to buy import now, except for maybe from Turkey due to shorter lead times and emission certifications. Regardless, the concern of the buyers regarding CBAM and new safeguard grow, and they would rather book from local mills,” a Benelux-based distributor said.
Some buyers have received higher offers for November delivery hot-rolled coil (HRC) from a major European producer at EUR630/t delivered Northwest Europe, up by EUR20/t from the previous offer level. October delivery material from the same supplier has still been available at EUR610/t delivered, in line with official offers from other mills.
Despite higher offers, European steelmakers have been ready to give discounts to fill their order books. They have settled a few deals and given offers to customers at EUR570-580/t ex-works Northwest Europe.
Some mills have also been ready to negotiate prices down for certain specifications.
Steelmakers need to fill their production lines for the fourth quarter, and they might be less bullish in their pricing, sources said.
Significant volumes of imported steel are already on the way to the EU. And the buyers are likely to customs clear those volumes in the fourth quarter this year despite possibly exceeding safeguard quotas in order to avoid CBAM tariffs which will come into force in 2026.
“The pressure on the European mills will stay high, as demand would not improve beyond seasonal fluctuations. And the volumes of import on the way to the EU are significant, and those products were booked at significantly cheaper prices,” a service center said.
Northwest European prices for cold-rolled and hot-dipped galvanized coil have been heard at EUR660-670/t ex-works and EUR670-680/t ex-works, respectively.
Safeguard alternative and CBAM
The European Commission is expected to announce proposals for the steel safeguard replacement next month. Some market participants suggested that the new measures could come into force in January 2026, increased of July of next year – after existing safeguard measures will come to an end.
The possibility of the new measures coming into force in the start of next year has made planning for imports with longer lead times riskier, market sources said.
In addition, CBAM is due to come into force in 2026. But lack of clear regulations available regarding CBAM duty calculations has deterred European buyers from booking overseas material. Some market participants speculated that an absence of final CBAM policies at this time could indicate that the implementation of the measures could be postponed by one year. But a majority of sources argued that such a significant regulation, which is linked to a wider decarbonization policy in the EU, could not be postponed.
Some mills from China have been offering steel to the EU including not only anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties, but also any possible CBAM tariffs if the material arrives in 2026.
European importers have estimated CBAM duties for imported coil at EUR50-70/t.
Green steel
Trading activity in the green steel segment of the European steel market remained muted due to the seasonal August slowdown. However, some sources reported a growing number of enquiries for low-CO2 material.
But spot buyers have been refusing to accept offered premiums of around EUR200/t, and workable levels in the market remained at EUR70-100/t for European HRC. Some have opted to book mass balanced material as they can pay lower premiums if they do not requite significant CO2 emissions reduction.
Some projects, funded by state authorities in Northwest Europe, however, have been ready to pay the offer premiums.
McCloskey’s reduced carbon marker was calculated at EUR50.15/t on 22 August.
| European coil and green steel prices | Term | Marker | Change |
| Weekly Northwest Europe steel coil | |||
| Northwest Europe ex-works HRC | EX-WORKS | 575 | 0 |
| Northwest Europe ex-works CRC | EX-WORKS | 665 | 0 |
| Northwest Europe ex-works HDG | EX-WORKS | 675 | 5 |
| Weekly South Europe steel coil | |||
| Italy ex-works HRC | EX-WORKS | 540 | 0 |
| South Europe CIF HRC | CIF | 520 | 0 |
| Weekly Green steel | |||
| Green Northwest Europe HRC premium (scopes 1-3 CO2 0.8t) | 80 | 0 | |
| Green Northwest Europe ex-works HRC (scopes 1-3) | EX-WORKS | 655 | 0 |
| Green HRC premium (scopes 1-2 CO2 0.5t) | 80 | 0 | |
| Green Northwest Europe ex-works HRC (scopes 1-2) | EX-WORKS | 655 | 0 |
| Green HRC reduced carbon price (scopes 1-3) | 50.15 | -0.55 |
Maria Tanatar Associate Director, Steel and Green Steel
NORDWEST builds major new logistics hub in Alsfeld
NORDWEST Handel AG has announced the development of a new state-of-the-art logistics centre in Alsfeld, Hesse. Scheduled for completion in early 2026, the site will rank among the largest and most modern central warehouses in the professional trade (PVH) sector.
Covering 68,000 m² of hall space on a total site of 135,000 m², the Alsfeld facility will significantly expand capacity for NORDWEST’s growing European network of affiliated trading partners. Designed as a multi-user warehouse, it will allow wholesalers, manufacturers, and suppliers to outsource logistics functions flexibly and efficiently, including direct-to-customer delivery across Germany and Europe.
The new hub will feature leading-edge automation technologies, including a highly automated small-parts storage system (170,000 bin locations), 50,000 pallet spaces, and advanced solutions for handling bulky goods and hazardous materials. NORDWEST is also investing in next-generation packaging and robotics to ensure efficiency, scalability, and sustainability. The site aims for DGNB Gold certification for sustainable construction.
With capacity to process up to 11,000 cartons and 1,000 pallets per day, the Alsfeld logistics centre will offer NORDWEST partners improved performance, higher product availability, and cost-effective services. Operations will start in phases from 2026, with full commissioning of all automated systems planned for early 2027.
The new logistics hub marks a strategic milestone for NORDWEST, reinforcing its role as a logistics specialist for European trade and industry, and delivering added value through scalability, reliability, and sustainability.
Bandstahl-Service-Hagen and Boecker Stahl-Service – two steel service centers join EUROMETAL as new members
EUROMETAL is pleased to strengthen the network with two well-established German steel service centers, trusted for their commitment to quality, efficiency and individual customer solutions.
Bandstahl-Service-Hagen and Boecker Stahl-Service are part of the worldwide operating Niedax Group. The two Niedax subsidiaries, both based in Germany’s Ruhr area, represent the group’s dedicated steel service division. As independent and long-established steel service centers, Bandstahl-Service Hagen and Boecker Stahl-Service serve a broad customer base across Europe. Their customers represent a broad range of industries, including automotive, construction, electrical, mechanical engineering and industrial manufacturing sectors.
With state-of-the-art production facilities and experienced teams, both companies offer a wide range of services in steel processing. These include precision slitting and cutting of strip steel, efficient warehousing and reliable just-in-time delivery. Thanks to direct access to national and international procurement markets, the centers rank among the most flexible and high-performing service providers in the industry.
By offering CO₂-reduced steel and continuously optimizing supply chain processes, the companies demonstrate their commitment to responsible and forward-looking operations.
No postponement of CBAM: European Commission confirms implementation timeline
EUROMETAL has requested urgent clarification from the European Commission regarding recent press reports and market rumours suggesting a possible postponement of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
In his official reply to EUROMETAL, Director-General of DG TAXUD, confirmed that the current legislative timeline remains unchanged:
“The date of coming into effect of CBAM on 1 January 2026 is EU Law. It can only change with a legal proposal by the European Commission and the agreement of the European Parliament and the European Council. There is no such proposal on the table.”
The Commission also made clear that it does not comment on rumours circulating in the market.
This clarification confirms that the fiscal phase of CBAM will begin as scheduled on 1 January 2026, in line with the existing regulation.
EUROMETAL will continue to closely monitor CBAM implementation and provide regular updates to its members as official information becomes available.
UK Steel calls for tariff-free deal implementation
Industry association UK Steel has said the UK government needs to implement the tariff-free agreement previously agreed with the US, following a further expansion to the Section 232 steel-derivatives list, Kallanish reports.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump expanded his tariffs to cover 407 additional downstream products. These include car parts, machinery, fire extinguishers, plastics and speciality chemicals containing steel or aluminium.
Despite an agreement between the US and UK happening back in May, it has yet to be implemented. UK Steel says the lag leaves domestic exports “at a disadvantage.”
The UK is currently paying a 25% tariff on steel exported to the US, whilst other countries face 50%.
In a statement, the association notes that the new duties will be applied in addition to the country rate on the non-steel and non-aluminium content, 10% in the UK’s case. That means UK exporters could face another significant cost increase when selling into the US.
Peter Brennan, UK Steel’s director of trade and economic policy, comments: “This is another blow to the ecosystem of the UK steel industry as any impact on demand for downstream products will work its way through the supply chain. At a time of weak steel demand generally, this development makes it even more important that the UK government achieves the tariff-free deal it promised for UK steel producers who depend on access to the US market.”
The statement calls for “urgent action” to secure the tariff-free access.
Carrie Bone UK