STEEL SCRAP WRAP: Downtrend in global markets continues

Turkey came back to the deep-sea export markets in the week ended Friday February 5, capitalizing on lower prices, while buying appetite in the Asian markets was subdued by the imminent Lunar New Year holiday.

United States export prices weakened over the period, with market participants unsure whether prices had further to fall on the basis of cheaper European deals.

  • Turkey buys four deep-sea cargoes
  • Cheaper European deals foster bearish sentiment in US
  • Taiwanese sellers accept price cuts
  • Lunar New Year damps Vietnamese buying appetite
  • Indian market down on lack of activity.

Turkey
Turkey returned to the deep-sea market in force this week, booking a series of UK- and Baltic Sea-origin cargoes. Turkish buyers had previously stayed out of the market in expectation of lower bulk prices, which have now been seen.

Two UK sales to Turkey were priced at $387-399 per tonne cfr for an HMS 1&2 (80:20) while two Baltic Sea cargoes were booked at $380-381 per tonne cfr for HMS 1&2 (80:20) and $390-391 per tonne cfr for bonus material.

Pricing history
steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), Northern Europe origin, cfr Turkey.
steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20), US origin, cfr Turkey.

United States
Persistent weakness on the global scrap markets pushed US export scrap prices lower this week, with South Korean buyers coming back to the US West Coast market at a steep drop.

Lower European sales to Turkey, which continued to accumulate at lower levels, added to bearish sentiment over the period, with market participants expecting further drops.

Pricing history
steel scrap HMS 1&2 (80:20), export index, fob New York.
steel scrap shredded scrap, export index, fob New York.
steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20), export index, fob Los Angeles.

Vietnam
Buying appetites in Vietnam remained suppressed this week, with purchases muted due to the Lunar New Year holiday. A rebound in Japanese scrap prices led to higher offers made to Vietnam, but these were considered too high and were not accepted by regional buyers.

Pricing history
steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20), cfr Vietnam.

Taiwan
Taiwanese scrap import prices continued to fall this week, with sellers reported to be settling for lower prices ahead of the Lunar New Year, allowing regional mills to capitalize on lower deals.

Pricing history
steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), US material import, cfr main port Taiwan.

India
Prices in India moved down as a result of poor trading conditions, with the market said to be ‘sleeping’ due to the lack of purchasing activity.

Pricing history
steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India.

What to read next
Fastmarkets has corrected its MB-STE-0816 Japan seamless Linepipe API 5L B fob and its MB-STE-0817 Japan seamless Linepipe API 5L X65 fob assessments, which were published incorrectly on Wednesday April 8 due to a procedural error.
Fastmarkets has corrected the rationale for its MB-LI-0033 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price cif China, Japan & Korea, which was published incorrectly on Thursday April 9 due to a typo. The published rationale for MB-LI-0033 Lithium hydroxide monohydrate LiOH.H2O 56.5% LiOH min, battery grade, spot price cif China, Japan […]
Fastmarkets launched two new aluminium scrap prices on Thursday, April 9, adding to Fastmarkets’ suite of recycled non-ferrous metals price assessments. The launch will elevate and expand Fastmarkets’ aluminium scrap coverage by including the following grades: Section 232 tariffs and the resulting high aluminium premiums have led to increased costs and rising interest in recycled […]
The publication of Fastmarkets' Hard coking coal domestic China spot market, Shanxi-origin, delivered Tangshan assessment for Tuesday April 7 was delayed due to a reporter error. Fastmarkets’ pricing database has been updated.
The EU-Mercosur trade agreement, set to take provisional effect in 2026, aims to reduce trade barriers between the two regions. However, the deal faces significant opposition from environmental groups and EU agricultural sectors. For the pulp and paper industry, the effects will be phased in over several years, with an analysis by Cepi showing that tariff reductions will be gradual, eventually benefiting about 85% of EU pulp exports and 90% of paper and board exports.
Crop-based biodiesel became cheaper than fossil diesel in the EU for the first time on Thursday April 2, when premiums for core crop grades FAME 0 (fatty acid methyl ester 0) and RME (rapeseed methyl ester) over ICE gasoil fell into negative territory.