Posted on 23 Sep 2026
Hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have extended recent gains this week, while suppliers tightened terms by eliminating detention-free time and charging nearly $0.60/tonne from vessel arrival to berthing, Kallanish notes.
Two weeks ago, a 30,000-tonne ex-Japan re-rolling grade deal was brokered at $560-565/tonne cfr Fujairah, or any other UAE port accessible, for end-November shipment. Last week, two re-rollers booked a combined 45,000t across multiple grades and thicknesses of Taiwanese-origin material base (2-3mm SAE 1006 grade) at $580-585/t cfr Fujairah or Abu Dhabi for November loading.
Prices rose again this week to $610/t cfr UAE ports for Chinese material and $630-635/t cfr West Coast Saudi ports for top-tier Chinese 2mm SAE 1006 grade HRC. Japanese material of the same grade and thickness is reported at $520/t fob for December, with limited allocation, equating to $620-630/t cfr West Coast Saudi ports. Indian offers are yet to surface in the GCC market.
Local galvanised iron (GI) prices in the UAE rose $10-20/t from last week, to $940-950/t delivered for 1mm Z120 and $1,010-1,020/t for Z275, for November rolling.
In Saudi Arabia, benchmark mill Hadeed's SPHC grade, 2.8mm thick and above, was offered at SAR 2,710/t ($723/t) delivered against letter of credit (LC) at sight.
Driven by limited vessel availability, particularly for Saudi ports, freight rates surged, with war risk premiums and insurance costs rising sharply.
Source:Kallanish
