UMB Steel orders technology to revive Oțelu Roșu production
Romania’s UMB Steel has contracted SMS to provide a Continuous Mill Technology (CMT) 700 mill to enable 700,000 tonnes/year of bars, compact coils, and wire rod production in a continuous endless process.
The new unit, the first in Europe, upgrades the existing Oțelu Roșu plant infrastructure by enabling the uninterrupted production of long products from scrap by continuously feeding cast products from the meltshop to the rolling mill, SMS tells Kallanish. Process lead time from scrap to finished product is approximately 120 minutes, guaranteeing minimal carbon emissions and high production efficiency.
UMB Steel aims to meet increasing demand for sustainable construction materials, primarily supporting the UMB group’s highway construction operations.
SMS will deliver the plant on a single source basis, delivering mechanical, electrical and automation systems to integrate the new caster and rolling mill into the existing Oțelu Roșu steelmaking complex.
The electric arc furnace-based mill has been out of action since 2012, when it was known as Mechel Ductil Steel Otelu Rosu under its former Russian owner.
The new mill will reduce CO2 emissions up to 30% since no natural gas is required for billet reheating. It is designed for a flexible production mix thanks to the combination of a vertical compact coil (VCC) system for coils weighing up to 8 tonnes, a wire rod line for high-carbon construction grades produced in a billet-to-billet process, and a straight bar finishing area, SMS says.
No information was provided on the condition of the EAF or date for new mill commissioning.
Dorinel Umbrărescu-owned road construction conglomerate UMB group acquired the Oțelu Roșu steel plant in late 2024. It also recently agreed to purchase the Romania-based Hunedoara steelworks from ArcelorMittal.
Romanian rebar prices rise under CBAM pressure, wire rod stable as demand still low
This week, Romania’s rebar segment has seen upward price movement, as both the sole domestic producer and rebar spot traders increased their offers compared to last week.
The adjustments are largely influenced by CBAM-related expectations and rising prices from other EU suppliers. However, the wire rod segment has not followed this trend, with prices remaining unchanged due to persistently weak demand. Market participants report that overall demand continues to be limited, particularly in the wire rod segment, where activity is described as very low. The rebar market is performing slightly better, with a modest uptick in inquiries following the recent increases. Even so, sources highlight growing uncertainty: with the end of the year approaching and holiday-related slowdowns already visible, business activity is expected to soften further. Given these conditions, combined with ongoing liquidity constraints, many sellers question whether the current upward price attempts can be sustained, as buyers remain cautious and highly price-sensitive.
As a result, domestic rebar prices have moved higher, with the country’s sole producer raising offers to €560-565/mt ex-works, compared with €550-555/mt previously. In the retail segment, traders have also adjusted their prices upward to €570-590/mt ex-warehouse, up from last week’s €550-565/mt ex-warehouse.
In contrast, the wire rod market has remained quiet, with weak demand limiting any price movement. Traders report that offers continue to stand at €560-570/mt ex-warehouse, unchanged from the previous week.
On the import side, trading activity has remained limited as the end of the year approaches and many Romanian buyers are waiting for January arrival cargoes rather than committing to new bookings. Offers from EU suppliers continue to reflect CBAM-related adjustments, and Bulgarian mills have raised rebar prices to €600-610/mt CPT, up from last week’s €585-605/mt CPT. Moldovan suppliers, meanwhile, have paused new offers due to internal issues and are currently absent from the market.
Among non-EU origins, Egyptian mills have kept their levels unchanged, offering rebar at €485-490/mt CFR and wire rod at €490-495/mt CFR. Turkish suppliers, by contrast, have slightly reduced the lower end of their range, now quoting at €495-515/mt CFR for January shipment, down from €500-515/mt CFR last week, based on an exchange rate of €1 = $1.17 and freight costs of €15-20/mt.
Romanian flats spot market stable, Liberty Galati still shut and in trouble
Following last week’s decline driven by high inventories and weak demand, Romanian flat steel spot prices have stabilized, with levels unchanged week on week. However, market sentiment remains fragile.
Demand is still sluggish, liquidity issues continue to restrict purchasing capacity, and, with the holiday season approaching, market participants see little chance of a near-term recovery. As domestic demand stays muted, the import market has also remained quiet, with Romanian buyers showing very limited interest in new bookings.
At present, spot market quotations for hot rolled sheet (HRS) stand unchanged at €710-735/mt ex-warehouse, while cold rolled sheet (CRS) continues to be offered at €825-845/mt ex-warehouse, also stable week on week.
On the other hand, Liberty Galati, the country’s sole flat steel producer, has remained silent with no updates regarding production or future operations. The outlook for the plant continues to appear bleak, as legal and financial pressures persist. Local media report that the courts are still attempting to address the company’s ongoing difficulties, and, given the scale of unresolved issues and outstanding complaints, industry sources believe that a resolution will likely take time. For now, uncertainty around Liberty Galati’s future remains a significant concern for the Romanian steel sector.
In the import market, activity has likewise remained muted, as Romania’s weak domestic demand continues to limit buyers’ interest in securing new volumes. Most Romanian customers are purchasing only occasional medium-sized lots from nearby suppliers, mainly to replenish minimum stock levels. The Ukrainian mill has kept its prices unchanged from last week, offering HRS at €650-660/mt CPT and CRS at €740-750/mt CPT. A Slovakian supplier has also maintained stable pricing, continuing to quote HRS at €660-670/mt CPT.
In contrast, Turkish mills have lifted their HRC offers, supported by firmer sentiment in the scrap market. Offers for January shipment have now settled at €475-495/mt CFR, compared with last week’s €475-485/mt CFR, including estimated freight costs of €15-20/mt. These import levels remain duty-free depending on the origin, although Turkish material continues to be subject to EU antidumping duties.
Romanian longs prices still stable but demand and liquidity constraints persist
The Romanian long steel market has remained stable again this week, with both rebar and wire rod prices showing no major changes.
Market participants describe overall activity as quiet, with limited sales amid weak demand and ongoing liquidity constraints. Most traders and the domestic producer have kept their offers unchanged, citing stable costs and a lack of market drivers for any revisions. Despite price stability, sentiment remains cautious, as financial strain, project delays and slow payments continue to limit buying interest. Sources note that the market currently reflects stagnation rather than a recovery, with little sign of an improvement in the coming weeks.
In the domestic market, rebar prices have stayed firm at €550-555/mt ex-works, as the country’s sole producer has maintained its existing offer levels. Spot traders have likewise kept prices stable, quoting at €555-565/mt ex-warehouse, similar to last week. A few distributors have continued to provide minor discounts to stimulate sales, with prices occasionally heard at around €540-545/mt ex-warehouse, particularly for larger orders.
The wire rod market has followed a similar trend, with trading volumes remaining low and prices unchanged over the past week. Offers have remained stable at €560-570/mt ex-warehouse, reflecting the ongoing weakness in both demand and liquidity.
On the import side, the market has shown a comparable weakness. While some Romanian buyers continue to purchase small or medium-sized lots to replenish inventories, overall import activity remains slow. Stable offer levels from external suppliers in recent weeks, combined with weak domestic conditions, have further limited trading interest and kept market dynamics muted. According to market sources, EU suppliers have maintained stable pricing, with the Bulgarian mill offering rebar at €570-580/mt CPT and the Moldovan supplier keeping levels at around €550/mt CPT, unchanged from last week. Among non-EU suppliers, Egyptian mills have kept their rebar offers at €485-490/mt CFR and their wire rod offers at €495-500/mt CFR. Turkish suppliers have applied minor reductions of about €5/mt over the past week, mainly due to exchange rate movements, with current offers at €485-500/mt CFR, based on an exchange rate of €1 = $1.16 and freight costs of €15-20/mt.
Metinvest confirms initial interest in acquiring idled Liberty Galati steel plant
Metinvest has confirmed a preliminary interest in Romania’s 3 million mt/year integrated iron and steel works Liberty Galati.
The Ukrainian mining and steel company confirmed to Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, it is examining the feasibility of such an acquisition and the potential synergies with its business, but added it has not yet put in a bid.
Given the Romanian state’s exposure to around Eur400 million of Liberty Galati’s cumulative debt, in mid-September the government set up the Committee for Protecting the State Interests at the Galați steel plant, according to its website.
The committee has been investigating a loan granted to the producer for the restart of its blast furnace No. 5, which came online earlier this year, but for a short period only. It has also been assessing the intentions of potential investors interested in acquiring or supporting the production activities of the steelmaking asset.
It did not specify those companies or persons, but local media mentioned Dorinel Umbrarescu, the owner of Romanian construction group UMB, as another candidate.
The state’s interest is to maintain the domestic steel industry functioning because the entire construction sector in Romania relies heavily on metal production, and also because Romania will have additional gas production from 2027, and so it would be illogical not to produce key metal components domestically, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said during his last month’s press conference.
In September, the plant’s administration notified the unions that technical unemployment would continue through October, with prospects for production to resume being slim, according to the Romanian government’s website.
The restructuring plan for Liberty Galati, approved by creditors and confirmed by the Galati Court in August 2025, is meant to help the steel mill avoid insolvency and implies securing the financing, and collaboration with potential investors.
Romania’s flats spot prices stable amid limited demand, but upward pressure emerges
This week, while the majority of Romanian flat steel traders have continued to keep offers stable compared to last week, rumors of imminent upward price movement have started to circulate for the coming weeks.
According to market players, the new EU safeguard measures announced earlier this week, along with the ongoing implementation of CBAM, could lead to price increases, despite the generally limited demand. Meanwhile, some market participants believe that, while these new measures may offer some hope, cheap imported material will no longer be able to put pressure on the market. Others argue that the measures will mostly benefit mills, while making things more difficult for traders who rely heavily on lower-cost foreign steel.
Against this backdrop, spot market offers for hot rolled sheet (HRS) remain unchanged at €710-735/mt ex-warehouse, while cold rolled sheet (CRS) continues to be quoted at €830-845/mt ex-warehouse, both in line with the levels seen in the previous week.
Meanwhile, Liberty Galati, the country’s only flat steel producer, remains silent and uncertain regarding its future. The restructuring process is facing more delays due to a protest by judges at the Galati Court, who are only handling urgent cases. Because of this, important appeals in the case have been postponed again, with the next hearing now set for February 11, 2026. The main case has also been delayed and is now scheduled for December 16, 2025. As these dates keep being pushed back, the situation is becoming harder for everyone involved, especially the workers and creditors, and the uncertainty surrounding the plant’s future continues to grow.
On the other hand, in the import market, while not much activity has been seen on the purchasing side, some price increases have appeared on the offer side, especially from the Ukrainian supplier, mostly due to the announcement of the new safeguards. According to sources, its offers for HRS and CRS have increased to €615-620/mt CPT and €705-710/mt CPT, up from last week’s levels of €590-600/mt CPT and €680-690/mt CPT, respectively. Similarly, hot rolled coil (HRC) offers from Turkish suppliers have also increased week on week, with current CFR offers for November shipments to Romania assessed at €480-490/mt, up from €465-485/mt, including freight costs of approximately €15-20/mt. However, importers should be aware that these prices are duty-free and depend on the source, while Turkish materials are subject to antidumping duties in the EU.
Steel Mont proposes Liberty Galati revival
A European consortium led by trading company Steel Mont has proposed a toll processing agreement and potential acquisition of Romania’s currently idled Liberty Galati plant, Steel Mont said on 3 October.
The proposal, submitted to the company’s administrators on 23 September, outlines plans for a plate operation restart. Steel Mont stressed that the restart of the steelworks is critical for Romania’s steel supply independence, particularly for such sectors as defence, shipbuilding, energy and infrastructure.
The EU’s access to imports is expected to decrease significantly next year due to stricter quotas and higher duties proposed in replacement of existing safeguard measures as well as due to the introduction of the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) from 2026, market sources said.
The proposal includes raw material supply, tolling operations, and offtake of finished products, as well as the option for a potential future acquisition of the Galați steel plant.
“The consortium brings together international expertise, raw material security, and financial strength, with SteelMont at its core,” the company’s statement said.
Romanian authorities decided in mid-September to establish an inter-ministerial committee to preserve state interests in the Liberty Galati steelworks and to prevent bankruptcy.
Liberty Galati has remained idled since a failed restart attempt in June this year.
The steelworks’ capacity is 3 mt of steel per year.
Maria Tanatar Associate Director, Steel and Green Steel
Liberty Galati faces technical setback days after relighting BF No5
Operations at rolling mills were scheduled to commence next week using feedstock that has already been produced.
On June 12, BF No5 was stopped due to a technical failure, just days after it was restarted following more than a year of downtime, multiple source told Fastmarkets.
The accident overnight June 12 involved a detached “salamander” – a solid accumulation of molten iron and slag – that broke free and blocked the furnace’s drain outlets. This forced an emergency shutdown, sources familiar with the matter said.
They added that production could resume after the blockage was cleared if no further damage were found.
Liberty did not comment on the nature of the accident, noting out that its plan was to resume steel production at Galati as planned.
“The blast furnace is in the process of increasing and stabilizing production,” Liberty’s spokesperson told Fastmarkets on June 13. “During this phase, technical adjustments are necessary, and our team is focused on managing safely a technical issue caused by the rapid cooling of the liquids, which will be resolved soon.
“With raw materials in stock and a solid supply chain, Liberty Galați continues to produce high-quality steel and will start deliveries to customers,” the spokesperson added.
Despite the accident, plans to resume rolling mill operations seemed to be unaffected, and volumes of semi-finished steel products have already been accumulated.
“Liberty Galați successfully started its production operations last week, including the blast furnace, sinter plant and steel shop, and it has already produced more than 15,000 tonnes of slab for rolling, to commence next week,” the spokesperson said.
The company restarted BF No5 on June 4 [LINK]. The equipment was idled in May 2024 amid difficult market conditions.
The Galati steelworks, islocated on the west bank of the River Danube, in southeastern Romania. It has capacity for 3.5 million tonnes per year of hot-rolled coil, 1 million tpy of cold-rolled coil, 1.2 million tpy of steel plate and 350,000 tpy of hot-dipped galvanized coil, according to Fastmarkets’ information.
The company has five BFs with combined capacity for more than 6 million tpy of pig iron, but at present only the 2 million-tpy BF No5 is in operation.
Longs suppliers in Romania keep offers stable, local demand still limited
Following the election held last weekend, which resulted in stable currency exchange rate levels, Romanian long steel spot traders have opted to keep prices unchanged week on week.
However, in terms of trading activities, players stated that local demand has not demonstrated any improvement and has remained steady, albeit at limited levels, this week.
On the other hand, the sole Romanian rebar producer which is not presently producing has no new offers, so the previous offers have continued to be heard, but, according to sources, there is not much interest in the sole producer owing to a lack of essential materials.
Currently, the majority of traders have kept their rebar prices unchanged week on week at €595-610/mt ex-warehouse, with their wire rod offers stable at €580-595/mt ex-warehouse. Meanwhile, as previously stated, the sole Romanian rebar producer has not made any fresh offers, and earlier offers of roughly €590-605/mt ex-works continue to be heard in the market, stable week on week.
Furthermore, there have been some import offers this week, though interest from Romanian traders has remained minimal. According to sources, offers for rebar from Bulgaria have remained stable at €610-630/mt CPT. Likewise, Egypt has also kept its rebar and wire rod offer prices unchanged at €510-520/mt CPT and €535-545/mt CPT, respectively. Greece, on the other hand, has offered rebar and wire rod at €605/mt CFR and €595/mt CFR, respectively. Meanwhile, Turkey’s average rebar price has also remained stable week on week at €515-530/mt CFR Romania, with a €1 = $1.13 exchange rate and around €25-30/mt freight.
Romanian longs prices unchanged amid market uncertainty caused by currency swings
Following the Romanian presidential election which caused currency fluctuations and market uncertainty, the majority of long steel traders and the sole domestic rebar producer have decided to hold offers unchanged compared to last week and to just monitor the market.
However, given the changes in currency rates, many participants believe that some upward adjustments in long steel prices may occur. Meanwhile, some suppliers believe that, owing to the ongoing weaker demand, price adjustments may not be supported by buyers.
“Romania’s unstable political situation has resulted in extremely low sales this week. Following the first round results, the euro and US dollar exchange rates will be updated for pricing in lei, and long steel prices will be adjusted in the coming days to reflect the new exchange rate. Considering the low sales volumes and the unstable political climate, I personally believe that neither price rises nor even customer acceptance of such levels are likely,” a trader said SteelOrbis
As a result, the sole local producer’s rebar pricing is unchanged week on week at €590-605/mt ex-works. Similarly, the retail prices of rebar in Romania are stable at €610-620/mt ex-warehouse since last week.
In the wire rod segment, a similar scenario has occurred due to the current uncertainty. The majority of traders offered wire rod prices at unchanged levels of €580-595/mt ex-warehouse.
Meanwhile, as regards imports, Bulgarian suppliers have reduced rebar offers by €10/mt to €610-630/mt CPT, while ex-Egypt rebar and wire rod prices remain stable from the previous week at €530-535/mt CPT and €535-540/mt CPT, respectively. In contrast, ex-Turkey offers have increased as mills’ export offers have been quoted at $540-550/mt FOB, and, with the current currency rate of €1 = $1.13, prices for delivery to Romania are now at €505-515/mt CFR, up from €495-515/mt CFR last week.
