DAILY STEEL SCRAP: Turkish mills take a break from deep-sea bookings

Turkish steel producers skipped the last working day of the week with no deep-sea bookings, market participants told Fastmarkets on Friday May 21.

Mills booked at least four deep-sea cargoes this week despite the holiday periods that have suspended trade in most of Turkey’s local market over the past two weeks.

The most recent deal was done on Thursday May 20, when a steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a Baltic Sea cargo at $507.50 per tonne cfr on HMS 1&2 (80:20) basis.

Three other cargoes were booked on Tuesday May 18, a day before the national holiday in Turkey commemorating former president Kemal Atatürk.

A mill in the Iskenderun region bought a European cargo comprising 20,500 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $506.50 per tonne, 9,000 tonnes of bonus grade scrap at $516.50 per tonne and 500 tonnes of rail scrap at $521.50 per tonne.

A mill in the Izmir region booked a cargo from the UK comprising 15,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $500 per tonne and 5,000 tonnes of shredded scrap at $520 per tonne.

And a mill in the Marmara region bought a Baltic cargo comprising HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $507 per tonne and bonus grade scrap at $517 per tonne.

The lack of fresh trading activity on Friday left Fastmarkets’ daily scrap indices static at the end of the week.

Fastmarkets’ daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey was calculated at $506.53 per tonne on Friday May 21, unchanged day on day.

And the corresponding daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), United States origin, cfr Turkey was also flat at $511.11 per tonne on May 20, leaving the premium for US material over European scrap at $4.58 per tonne on May 21.

What to read next
Fastmarkets proposes to launch Nordic sawn timber export prices for selected European markets and grades, while discontinuing the PIX Sawn Timber FAS Finland indices. The PIX sawn timber FAS Finland indices have not been widely adopted by the industry and the new price assessments will offer more end-market-specific data for major European markets and will […]
Learn how timber imports affect the US economy regarding Canadian softwood lumber and future trade policies.
The recent US-China agreement to temporarily reduce tariffs is a major step for global trade, with tariffs on US goods entering China dropping from 125% to 10% and on Chinese goods entering the US decreasing from 145% to 30% starting May 14. While this has boosted markets and created optimism, key industries like autos and steel remain affected, leaving businesses waiting for clearer long-term trade policies.
BEK pulp prices in Europe dropped $40/tonne in April, driven by US import tariff uncertainties and weaker demand in China.
The US-China trade truce announced on May 12 has brought cautious optimism to China’s non-ferrous metals markets, signaling a possible shift in global trade. Starting May 14, the removal of additional tariffs has impacted sectors like battery raw materials, minor metals and base metals such as zinc and nickel, with mixed reactions. While the improved sentiment has lifted futures prices and trade activity, the long-term effects remain unclear due to challenges like supply-demand pressures and export controls.
Explore the current trends in the wood market as prices for framing lumber continue to decline amidst economic uncertainty.