Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in the EU have been largely unchanged over the past week, sources told Metal Bulletin on Wednesday May 16.
But sentiment remains negative in Southern and Central Europe, they said. This was blamed on limited buying activity and competition from imports.In the north, however, prices were expected to be largely stable, due to a degree of recovery in demand and the positive effects arising from an EU safeguard case.The European Commission (EC) opened a safeguard investigation into 26 steel products on March 26 in an attempt to prevent the redirection to the EU market of steel shipments originally destined for the United States. Among other products, the case will look into hot-rolled steel sheet and strip.Northern EuropeMetal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic HRC in Northern Europe...