Romanian flats steel spot prices have remained largely unchanged over the past week, as local traders continue to maintain their offer levels amid a firmer pricing environment across Europe.
The recent increases announced by several EU mills have been partly linked to growing cost pressures, particularly higher energy prices and expectations of rising freight costs due to the war in the Middle East. In response to this broader trend, Romanian sellers have shown less willingness to grant large concessions, and the level of discounts available in the market has gradually narrowed. Although demand in the local market is not particularly strong, market sources note that buyer interest has shown some improvement, as some participants are becoming more attentive to the possibility of further price increases in the European market.
As a result, hot rolled sheet (HRS) offers in the Romanian spot market have remained stable over the past week at €750-780/mt ex-warehouse, unchanged compared to the previous week, while cold rolled sheet (CRS) prices have also held steady at €850-890/mt ex-warehouse.
Although official levels have remained stable, workable prices in the market are slightly lower. Discounts have narrowed compared to previous weeks, with reductions of around €10-20/mt reported for serious buyers and larger volume orders, down from €20-30/mt earlier. Nevertheless, sellers continue to grant such concessions as overall demand remains limited, mainly due to persistent liquidity constraints affecting purchasing activity.
Meanwhile, activity in the import market has shown a slight improvement, particularly in the HRS segment. According to market sources, several lots were booked from a Ukrainian supplier at €700-710/mt CPT during the week. However, these purchases were mainly carried out by larger traders, while many other Romanian buyers remain cautious as liquidity constraints continue to weigh on purchasing decisions and local demand remains uncertain. The Ukrainian mill has kept its official offers unchanged week on week, with HRS and CRS quoted at €700-710/mt CPT and €790-800/mt CPT, respectively. Similarly, Serbian suppliers have maintained their HRS offers stable at €700-710/mt CPT. On the other hand, Turkish mills have increased their HRC offers for April shipment to €515-540/mt CFR, compared to €500-510/mt previously, calculated on the basis of €15-20/mt freight. However, Turkish material remains subject to EU antidumping duties, which continue to limit its competitiveness in the Romanian market.
