Romania’s flat steel spot market has maintained a relatively balanced trading environment this week, with demand remaining at acceptable levels despite the absence of any noticeable recovery.
Purchasing activity has continued at a moderate pace, allowing traders to maintain their recently increased quotations without significant downward pressure. However, further upward adjustments have proven difficult to achieve, as buyers are becoming more reluctant to accept additional increases. Although some suppliers are still attempting to raise their offers, the market has shown little movement overall, with transactions largely continuing at last week’s levels.
In the domestic spot market, HRS prices have remained at €780-790/mt ex-warehouse, while CRS quotations have held at €890-900/mt ex-warehouse, with both ranges unchanged week on week. Some traders are still testing increases of €5-10/mt, although these higher quotations have attracted little interest from buyers so far.
Meanwhile, Romania’s sole flat steel producer, Liberty Galați, continues to face financial and operational difficulties. In the latest development, Romanian trade union confederation Cartel Alfa has called for investigations into alleged irregularities involving the sale of plant assets, mounting debts and unpaid wages. With production still suspended, uncertainty over the plant’s future persists.
In the import segment, buying activity has remained quiet, with no fresh transactions reported despite the circulation of offers from several origins. Ukrainian suppliers have revised their quotations upward, with HRS now offered at €800-810/mt CPT Romania, compared with around €800/mt CPT last week, while CRS prices have reached €890-900/mt CPT, up from approximately €890/mt CPT. Meanwhile, a Slovakian producer has been heard offering HRS at €737-760/mt FCA Slovakia, equivalent to approximately €787-810/mt delivered to Romania after adding around €50/mt for transportation. Turkish HRC export quotations have shown no further movement, remaining at $630-645/mt FOB, or approximately $655-675/mt CFR Romania based on estimated freight costs of $25-30/mt. However, despite the availability of foreign offers, import activity remains limited, as EU quota restrictions and additional CBAM-related costs continue to make fresh purchases from overseas suppliers more difficult for Romanian buyers.
Author: SteelOrbis Editorial Team
