Research

Forecasts and market analysis based on price assessments from Fastmarkets MB and Fastmarkets AMM

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June 2015 | Galvanized Steel and Tinplate Market Tracker


HDG Prices slip, even as input costs continue gradual rebound: European Market Highlights


The short-term downward lurch in coated steel prices comes as a result of a softening demand outlook in Europe and some of its key neighbouring markets.

While Europe’s steelmakers may have been hoping to push rising input costs on to their customers, they have seen prices for their products come under pressure during recent weeks. This price squeeze has extended into the coated steel markets, where average prices of hot-dipped galvanized material (HDG) in Europe have slipped from around €485/tonne last month, to around €465/tonne as of writing.

The key culprit for such price falls over the past month undoubtedly comes from an unfavourable shift in the supply/demand balance. While we have talked in detail of falling production costs over the past year, in the form of falling iron ore, scrap and oil prices, and their contribution to falling finished steel prices, this has not really been the case over the past few months. In fact, since the beginning of April, prices of most inputs have stabilized and even increased...

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