Posted on 27 Apr 2020
Italian plate prices are on a downward trend as the sector slowly resumes selling and shipping activities, Kallanish learns from distributors and re-rollers in the country. Prices for domestic product are now falling by €30/tonne ($32/t) on average in offers compared to prices before the lockdown started in the beginning of March. Transactions however remain extremely limited.
Lower-quality S275 material from local mills now starts at €470-480/t base ex-works. A premium of €20/t is being paid for the higher grade S355. Before the lockdown at the beginning of March prices started at €500-510/t ex-work, Kallanish notes. Both distributors and producers admit there is virtually no market and sellers are in need of invoicing so they are “… open to negotiation,” one source suggests.
At the same time the issue of liquidity is continuing to be a challenge in Italy and buyers do not have the means to make purchases. Moreover, they believe that prices for all flat products will decline sharply in the coming weeks and even those who could buy will be adopting a wait-and-see attitude, Kallanish hears. “There are no enquiries. Clients have disappeared,” a distributor says. There are suggestions that the price of S275 can fall to €450/t ex-works in future transactions.
Distributor prices for S275 grade product remain at €520-530/t ex-works or delivered, depending on point of delivery, Kallanish hears.
Source:Kallanish
