Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, cpt Poland, was 2,680-2,730 zloty ($674-686) per tonne on Friday, widening downward by 20 zloty per tonne from 2,700-2,730 zloty per tonne the previous week.
Polish mills were heard to be hoping to achieve 2,750 zloty per tonne CPT, but lower offers at 2,700 zloty per tonne CPT were available in the market this week, sources told Fastmarkets.
Market participants estimated the tradeable market price at 2,680-2,730 zloty per tonne CPT.
According to some sources, even lower prices at 2,600-2,650 zloty per tonne could be achieved for large volumes exceeding 1,000 tonnes. But these were not included in this week’s assessment because they were not in line with Fastmarkets’ methodology.
“Demand [in Poland] is currently… moderate, but there is oversupply in the market, and that is why the prices are going down,” a distributor source told Fastmarkets.
According to a second distributor source, only the cut-and-bend sector in Poland was performing well at the moment, but demand in general remained low.
A producer source agreed that demand for rebar in the Polish market remained comparatively low, with the summer holiday period also having an effect.
“No significant changes are expected in August,” the producer source added.
In terms of any future developments in Polish rebar prices, the first distributor source said that, in summer, even significant price decreases would not revive the market.
“I am afraid that in September, when mills come back to the market, and demand is still not so good, there could be more price decreases,” the first distributor source said.
The same source added that more significant funding from the EU for infrastructure projects, which could eventually support the local demand for rebar, would come no earlier than next year.
In terms of imports, offers of rebar from Germany were heard at €625-635 ($675-686) per tonne CPT.
Ukrainian material was offered to Poland at €570-580 per tonne DAP border, sources told Fastmarkets.
Kametstal to offer new rebar grade to Polish market
Kametstal, a subsidiary of Ukrainian steel producer Metinvest, has received international compliance certificate No. 020-UWB-3057/W, which will allow it to supply B500B rebar in diameters of 8-32mm to the Polish market, the company has announced. The certificate will be valid until 2028.
This means that Kametstal will be able to expand its product portfolio in Poland.
According to Fastmarkets’ sources, the first volumes of this material have already been traded in the Polish market.