Flat steel shipments from EU and UK up 3.3% on year in Q1

Flat steel shipments from steel service centers in the EU and the UK went up by 3.3% year on year in the first three months of 2022, stockholder and distributors’ association Eurometal said in its latest report.

When expressed in days of shipments, stocks at EU flat steel shipments reached 64 days in March 2022, compared to 55 days in March 2021, the association said March 17. The index of stock volumes rose to 104 in March, up from 83 a year ago, with the average 2018 index being 100.

Stocks increased by 7% in March compared with a year ago. Only Long Steel products noted a drop, the association said without specifying the percentage.

Longs products shipments in Q1 were down by 8.2% year on year with the exception of rebars.

Platts HRC in Northern Europe was assessed down Eur50 on May 17 at Eur1,100/mt ex-works Ruhr, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. In Q1 HRC Ruhr moved from Eur922/mt to Eur1,390 and on March 21 reached the historical level of Eur1,460/mt.

— Annalisa Villa