Italian rebar prices flatten on slow activity

Italian rebar prices remain flat compared to the beginning of the month. Demand is slow and some mills will implement stoppages from the end of this week until 2 May amid consecutive bank holidays, to balance demand and supply, Kallanish notes.

Mills continue to quote rebar at €470-480/tonne ($515-526) base ex-works. Buyers are however achieving €430-450/t base ex-works in deals. A distributor in the Rome area says he is receiving average demand from the construction sector for public infrastructure projects, but bad weather and heavy rain are slowing activity. A rebar seller says demand continues to be back-to-back apart from very few sales of higher volumes.

Including size extras, domestic prices are hovering at around €690-720/t ex-works. Mesh is at €540-550/t base ex-works on average, or €840-850/t ex-works including €300/t size extras, sources suggest.

Natalia Capra France