[SMM Steel] Absence of Black Sea Supplies and Demand Recovery Drive Up Turkish Billet Prices
[Turkey] Both domestic and import steel billet prices in Turkey moved significantly higher. Driven by the continued absence of Russian Black Sea supplies and a recovery in domestic demand, Turkish domestic billet prices rose sharply by 15 USD/tonne to 540–545 USD/tonne EXW, while import quotes edged up synchronously by 10 USD/tonne to 505–510 USD/tonne CFR. On the domestic front, Russian supply disruptions triggered a buying rush, prompting local mills to release large volumes. On the import front, approximately 50,000 tonnes of Malaysian billet were recently booked at 512–515 USD/tonne CFR for late-September delivery. Notably, over the past two weeks, a small volume of Iranian billet reached Turkey via rail at 460–480 USD/tonne delivered, though future trade could be hindered by US sanction risks. Meanwhile, Russian Black Sea offers remained stalled due to prohibitive logistics costs, with freight to Turkey holding high at 50–70 USD/tonne alongside additional overland rail surcharges.