Price increase campaign underway in EU stainless steel market

The prices of EU stainless steel coils have risen as limited local supply and attractive imports spurred buying interest. However, slow real demand clouds the trend's sustainability.

Domestic supply constraints caused by lengthy strikes at two major mills helped to balance supply and demand in the European stainless steel flat products market. The two remaining flat suppliers, Aperam and Arvedi AST, had a chance to pick up some orders missed by their peers. As delivery times have extended beyond June, the producers continue pushing for higher prices. However, the inventories of European distributors have not been that low to prompt an immediate acceptance of higher levels, so only a part of the announced rises were implemented. Moreover, imports gained more attention in March as preliminary exempted from anti-circumvention duties Taiwanese and Turkish suppliers immediately came back to European buyers with attractive offers. Continue Reading? Please click box below!