[SMM Steel] European HRC North-South Divergence: Blast Furnace Shutdown Crisis Pushes Italian Prices Above Northwest

[Turkey] Supported by price hikes in major overseas export markets and rising raw material costs, Turkish flat steel prices extended their upward trajectory. In the hot-rolled coil (HRC) segment, driven by the broader trend, domestic mills successively raised their asking prices, with quotes reaching 600–620 USD/tonne EXW. Most mills' production schedules are now fully booked into November, with only a select few still holding available volumes for October delivery. Impacted by higher marine freight rates and a seasonal slowdown in scrap collection, scrap import offers continued to climb, subsequently shifting the pricing center for downstream cold-rolled coil and hot-dip galvanized markets upward. Although end-user demand remains "quiet" and the price rally is purely supply-driven, Turkish coated products are demonstrating a clear comparative advantage in the European market, even as actual transaction volumes remain restricted by trade barriers such as EU safeguard quotas and the impending "melt and pour" regulations. On the import-export front, the Turkish HRC import price held steady at 550–555 USD/tonne CFR; as local prices climb, market optimism regarding the procurement of Chinese spot cargoes has increased. Export-wise, Turkish HRC offers underscore the material's strong competitiveness in Europe—particularly in Southern Europe—where export quotes have touched 615–620 USD/tonne FOB.

According to the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, this week, freight rates in the three major vessel type markets of the international dry bulk shipping market continued to rise, and the Far East Dry Bulk Rental Index extended its upward trend. By vessel type, the Capesize market rates consolidated at highs. At the start of the week, cargo volumes were moderate and FFA forward contracts rose, keeping rates fluctuating at highs; mid-week saw alternating changes; near the weekend, FFA declined, putting rates under pressure.

To deeply tap the line's potential and optimize the product mix, Rizhao Steel recently completed a comprehensive upgrade of its No.7 pickling and rolling line and added a continuous rolling mill. After the transformation, the line's designed annual capacity has been raised to 1.2 million mt, achieving a significant improvement in large-scale, specialized production capability. Since the project was put into operation, production and technical positions have worked closely together to overcome multiple process bottlenecks and successfully achieve product iteration for medium- and high-carbon steel lean coil products. From May to August this year, the line has stably mass-produced multiple grades of high-quality medium- and high-carbon steel products for saw blades, yielding fruitful phased results from the technological transformation, upgrade, and new product development.