Limited steel scrap supply keeps import prices in Turkey high

Turkish steel producers continued to face weak demand for finished steel products in the export markets and locally

Limited supplies and relatively active alternative markets have kept prices for imported recyclable steel elevated, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday August 23.

A new deal for US-origin scrap at $402 per tonne cfr, made on August 22, came to light after the indices were filed on August 23, and any correction in the indices for Northern Europe- and United States-origin imported scrap was expected to be reflected during Wednesday’s pricing session.

Meanwhile, Fastmarkets’ calculation of its daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), US origin, cfr Turkey, was calculated at $394.72 per tonne on August 23, unchanged day-on-day, but down by $5.01 per tonne from $399.73 per tonne on August 16.

The corresponding calculation of the daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), North Europe origin, cfr Turkey, was $389.06 per tonne on Tuesday, also unchanged day-on-day and also down by $5.01 per tonne from $394.07 per tonne one week earlier.

This left the premium for US material over European steel scrap at $5.66 per tonne on August 23.

According to Worldsteel data, Turkey cut its steel production in July by 20.7% year-on-year.

A producer source said that this trend was expected to extend into August and September because of the weak demand for finished steel.

What to read next
Fastmarkets has corrected its MB-AL-0399 aluminium scrap, old sheet (Taint/Tabor), cut sheared, 5-8% attachments, cif India price assessment, which was published incorrectly on Wednesday November 20.
View the Fastmarkets holiday non-ferrous pricing schedule for 2025.
The postponement will now be voted on by both the Parliament and the Council.
Read more about these new futures contracts against Fastmarkets' benchmark assessment for the Chicago No. 1 busheling ferrous scrap price
Policymakers in Europe need to follow a “steel action plan” to a avert a crisis in steelmaking, the European steel industry association Eurofer said this week
Fastmarkets proposes to discontinue its MB-STE-0423 Steel scrap shredded, index, delivered Midwest mill, $/gross ton; its MB-STE-0424 Steel scrap No1 heavy melt, index, delivered Midwest mill, $/gross ton and its MB-STE-0882 Steel scrap No1 busheling, indicator, delivered Midwest mill, $/gross ton, effective January 2025.