[SMM Steel] European HRC: Balanced Supply and Demand as Duty and Currency Risks Narrow Import Margins

Published: Oct 14, 2026 15:57 (GMT+8)

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[Europe] European hot-rolled coil (HRC) steel prices remained generally stable. With downstream demand persistently sluggish, mills lacked leverage to push offer levels higher, leaving ex-works prices in both Northwest Europe and Italy largely unchanged. Viable market transaction levels were anchored within 740–750 EUR/tonne DDP (~829–840 USD/tonne), while trader quotes broadly hovered around 740–750 EUR/tonne EXW (~829–840 USD/tonne). Downstream margins have been virtually erased alongside elevated distributor inventories, leaving end-user consumption as a persistent source of downward price pressure. On imports, trade defense and tariff rate quota (TRQ) risks continue to mount. As delayed import arrivals surged into customs simultaneously, India's dedicated country-specific quota was rapidly exhausted last week, exposing substantial volumes of landed material to steep safeguard duties. Consequently, several European buyers have opted to withdraw customs clearance applications to defer entry until the January quota reset, while initial cost evaluations for orders targeting the April 2027 quota reset have already commenced. A softer euro against the US dollar in recent weeks has further elevated import landing costs, which, alongside escalating trade protectionism, has significantly narrowed the arbitrage window for foreign steel relative to domestic European material.

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