Subdued trading keeps steel rebar prices flat in Poland

The Polish rebar market was largely quiet in the seven days to Friday January 27, with prices flat and subdued end-user demand limiting activity, sources told Fastmarkets.
Fastmarkets’ price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Poland was 3,300-3,380 zloty ($762-781) per tonne on Friday, stable week on week.

Offers from the local mills were heard at 3,350-3,400 zloty per tonne CPT, equivalent to 3,300-3,380 zloty per tonne ex-works. Some transactions for limited volumes of rebar were reported within that range during the past week.

In general, activity in the market was still subdued, sources said.

“The construction industry is still rather slow [because] there are not enough projects. And cut-and-bend companies are complaining about a lack of orders [from end users],” a trading source told Fastmarkets.

But some sources said that several stalled construction projects were expected to restart before the end of the first quarter, and that this would support rebar prices.

In the secondary market, rebar was offered and traded at prices around 3,450 zloty per tonne CPT, also stable week on week.

Meanwhile, import rebar offers to Poland were limited because some suppliers had withdrawn from the market to consider price rises.

Italian mills withdrew from the market and were expected next week to announce price rises of €20-30 ($22-33) per tonne for February-production rebar.

Published by: Julia Bolotova