Polish rebar prices rose in the week to Friday October 30, while drawing-quality wire rod prices were unchanged, as trading activity slowed and producers benefited from favorable export conditions, sources told Fastmarkets.
“Trading in the market is slower right now. We will see what happens in November,” a distributor source told Fastmarkets.
In the wire rod market, offers for drawing-quality material were heard at 3,000-3,100 zloty ($761-787) per tonne, within the existing assessment range.
As a result, Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (drawing quality), domestic, delivered Poland was unchanged at 2,900-3,150 zloty per tonne on Friday.
The domestic rebar market, meanwhile, moved higher during the assessment week.
Offers were heard at 2,850-2,950 zloty per tonne CPT, while workable levels were reported at 2,920-2,930 zloty per tonne. A deal was also heard at 2,950 zloty per tonne.
Market participants said Polish producers had exported initial volumes to the Ukrainian market, while the weaker zloty provided more favorable exchange-rate conditions for exports.
The increased exports to Ukraine followed Russian attacks on Ukrainian steel mills in August and September this year, which caused critical damage to infrastructure.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, CPT Poland rose to 2,850-2,950 zloty per tonne on Friday, from 2,780-2,840 zloty per tonne the previous week.
