[SMM Steel] Firm Mill Stance Drives Steady Upside in European HRC

Published: Jul 22, 2026 13:49

Save

[EU] European hot-rolled coil (HRC) offers maintained their upward momentum this week as domestic steelmakers successfully realized earlier price hikes in actual transactions, pushing mainstream quotes up to 815–820 USD/tonne EXW. Domestic mills have largely filled their September order books, with a mainstream producer recently concluding several forward-delivery contracts in succession. Supported by this, some mills are adopting a wait-and-see approach or withholding offers to prepare for further price increases on October production. On the import front, quotes in Antwerp held steady at 800–820 USD/tonne DDP. Although end-users continue to complain about sluggish consumption and elevated inventory levels, domestic mills maintain a steadfast posture, refusing to grant price concessions. Backed by ample order backlogs as the traditional August summer maintenance period approaches, steelmakers remain confident about post-holiday demand recovery.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

6 mins ago

Data: SHFE, DCE market movement (Jul 22)

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on 22 Jul , 2026

6 mins ago

15 mins ago

[SMM Steel] Indian HRC Export Market Shows Regional Divergence

[India] Indian HRC export activity remained mixed. Stronger EU buying to secure duty-free quotas lifted offers to around 580 USD/tonne FOB and supported a booking of about 30,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, shipping disruptions in the Middle East weighed on trade, while offers to other Asian markets softened. Regional demand and logistics are expected to keep export performance uneven.

15 mins ago

1 hour ago

[SMM Steel] Vietnam Import HRC Market Weakens as Buyers Push Lower

[Vietnam] Vietnam’s import HRC market remained subdued. Indian SAE1006 offers fell to 515-520 USD/tonne CFR, with some deal discussions at 510-520 USD/tonne CFR, while buyers continued targeting 510 USD/tonne or below. Chinese Q235 sellers sought around 495 USD/tonne CFR, but Vietnamese bids were below 490 USD/tonne CFR, keeping trading cautious.

1 hour ago