Italy
Italy’s domestic heavy plate market was flat during the assessment week, though material was heard offered at higher levels of €620 ($727) per tonne, while some indications fell to €590-per-tonne levels.
“Italian plate prices held steady over the past week, with producers struggling to achieve targeted rises,” one European market source told Fastmarkets.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe was €600-610 per tonne on Thursday, unchanged week on week.
Meanwhile, S355 plate prices were reported at levels of €640-650 per tonne delivered.
Northern Europe
Heavy plate prices in Northern Europe were also flat week on week, with slow demand and limited purchasing.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Northern Europe was €620-655 per tonne on Thursday, flat from a week prior.
EU policy considerations
There was market chatter around an expected European Commission proposal on steel import quota reductions and tariff increases set to be released on October 7.
“Let’s see the reaction once the European Commission proposal on quota reduction comes out,” one producer source said.
Sources were also concerned about recent news that the EU Commission will be confirming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM) and Emission Trading System (ETS) benchmarks in early 2026.
CBAM is set to enter its definitive phase on January 1, 2026 with the sale of CBAM certificates to start in February 2027.
Flat market sources have said that trade policy uncertainty has led to muted market trade.
The producer source said that they are “strictly considering CBAM’s effect” when discussing first-quarter trade, adding that recent sales are “still almost entirely for [the fourth quarter]”.
