[SMM EU Weekly Review] New Policy Ignites EU Sector; Melt and Pour Traceability and Slab Outages Drive Full Realization
The EU flat steel market officially entered the "full realization phase" ignited by the resonance of policy and supply this week. The EU's brand-new import regime and "Melt and Pour" traceability new regulations officially took effect on September 1, compounded by court-ordered slab production suspensions at Italy’s ADI and Ferriera Valsider declaring force majeure, creating a dual shock of policy tightening and supply disruptions that instantly broke market defenses. Northwest European HRC quotes surged to 738 EUR/tonne EXW (857 USD/tonne EXW) during the week, while the Italian HRC index climbed synchronously to 733 EUR/tonne EXW (852 USD/tonne EXW). Mainstream mills aggressively raised ex-works prices by 20–30 EUR/tonne; a major Northern European service center locked in 500 tonnes of actual orders (October shipment) at 760 EUR/tonne DDP (883 USD/tonne). On the import front, Italian HRC CIF import prices jumped to 669 USD/tonne CIF, imported slabs climbed to 560 USD/tonne CFR, with Chinese origins transacted at 570 USD/tonne CFR, widening internal-external price spreads further to yearly highs. The long products segment maintained isolated softness amidst general resilience—Italian domestic rebar edged down 5 EUR to 690 EUR/tonne EXW (802 USD/tonne), and forward cost uncertainties stemming from the advance implementation of CBAM began to disrupt long-term contract pricing for 2027. Looking ahead to next week, the dual push of the new regulations and supply outages remains intact; the degree to which mills can sustain high quotes and generate volume will dictate the upward slope, keeping HRC strong.