Steel beam prices in Europe rose considerably in the month to Wednesday January 21, with Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) cost considerations affecting appetite for imports and supporting domestic markets, while rising scrap feedstock costs and bullish offers added further upward pressure.
The upward movement follows a dip in prices and sentiment in December.
Fastmarkets’ monthly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Northern Europe was €740-775 ($866-907) per tonne on Wednesday, up by €90-95 per tonne from €650-680 per tonne a month earlier.
Similarly, Fastmarkets’ monthly price assessment for steel beams, domestic, delivered Southern Europe was €740-775 per tonne on Wednesday, up by €90-95 per tonne month on month from €650-680 per tonne.
A key factor supporting the rise in domestic prices was the introduction of Phase 2 of the European Union’s (EU) CBAM – which, from January 1 2026, requires EU importers of high-carbon goods such as steel to purchase carbon certificates covering the embedded CO2 emissions of their imports.
There had already been significant price rises in flat steel markets late last year due to CBAM cost-considerations affecting import prices and demand.
Bullish seller sentiment at the start of the year also helped raise offers as producers aimed for higher prices.
However, while some market participants noted rising offers, they were sceptical of the tradability of higher prices amid continuing weak demand.
One market source said that the market was “very quiet” in early January, with market participants returning from the winter break.
Meanwhile, scrap feedstock prices in the bellwether Turkish market have been rising steadily since September 2025 – also contributing to the rise in European beams prices.
Fastmarkets’ calculation of its daily index for steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix) North Europe origin, cfr Turkey was $369.97 per tonne on Wednesday, up by $5.26 per tonne month on month from $364.71 per tonne, and up by $42.97 per tonne from the low point of $327 per tonne on September 12 last year.
