Italian beam producers are seeking another €40/tonne ($48/t) hike compared to May. This is in line with June increases registered for domestic long products, and skyrocketing values of scrap, Kallanish learns from market sources.
Starting this week, sections producers are now asking for as much as €600/t base ex-works for the first category of beams. Prices increase by €20/t for each subsequent category. At the beginning of May they were asking for €380/t base ex-works.
Demand is said to be strong from Italy and other European countries. Only a few contracts have however been implemented at the new prices so far. Transactions are currently at €550-600/t base ex-works for the first category of beams. Including €385-390/t average size extras, values are reaching €930-990/t ex-works, the highest levels seen in the past decade.
A similar situation is happening for Italian merchant bar, for which mills also pushed up prices this week to €500/t ex-works on strong export demand (see Kallanish 15 June).
Natalia Capra France
