Romania’s longs market has continued to move sideways this week, as the overall market outlook still offers limited support for higher prices. Demand remains present but relatively limited, with construction activity not yet strong enough to generate a broader increase in steel consumption, while liquidity constraints are also encouraging buyers to remain cautious as regards purchasing volumes. As a result, most buying continues to be focused on immediate requirements, with little need to build additional stocks at current demand levels. Inventories across the domestic market are generally considered sufficient, which has further reduced pressure on buyers to secure extra tonnages. Under these conditions, domestic prices have remained broadly stable, while appetite for imported material has also continued to be limited this week.
Romanian retail rebar prices are still generally heard at around €610-615/mt ex-warehouse. However, some sellers are attempting to lift their quotations by around €5-10/mt, targeting levels closer to €615-625/mt ex-warehouse. So far, these higher levels have met with limited acceptance from buyers, preventing any broader upward movement in the market. Beltrame, Romania’s sole rebar producer, is meanwhile maintaining its official quotations at around €600-610/mt ex-works, with discounts of approximately €10/mt still understood to be available depending on tonnage and payment terms.
The wire rod market has followed a similar direction, with prevailing retail prices remaining at around €635-640/mt ex-warehouse. Sellers are also trying to add approximately €5-10/mt, bringing targeted levels to around €640-650/mt ex-warehouse.
Import activity has remained slow this week, as current domestic demand and sufficient local inventories have left buyers with limited appetite for additional imports. Bulgarian rebar quotations have moved higher to around €640-660/mt CPT Romania, compared with €630-650/mt CPT last week. No fresh Italian offers have been heard this week, while the latest available indications remain broadly stable at around €590/mt FCA, with freight to Romania estimated at €65-75/mt. Hungarian rebar in coils continues to be quoted at around €640-650/mt delivered, while Moldovan suppliers are also maintaining their previous levels at approximately €610-620/mt delivered for rebar and €645-655/mt delivered for rebar in coils. Turkish rebar export quotations have remained unchanged at $620-635/mt FOB this week. With freight to Romania estimated at around $25-30/mt, the corresponding level remains at approximately €555-570/mt CFR Romania, broadly in line with last week. Egyptian suppliers, meanwhile, have continued to seek higher levels. Rebar quotations have increased to $610-615/mt FOB from $600-610/mt FOB last week, translating into approximately €555-565/mt CFR Romania with freight estimated at $35-40/mt, compared with around €545-560/mt CFR previously. Egyptian wire rod offers have also edged up to $625-635/mt FOB from $620-635/mt FOB last week, corresponding to around €570-580/mt CFR Romania, versus approximately €565-580/mt CFR one week earlier.
