Fastmarkets' weekly prices assessments for alloy steel scrap imported into mainland Europe were unchanged this week amid 'very slow' market activity and relatively stable nickel prices.
Demand has been below expectations since the end of the summer, when the usual post-holiday recovery failed to fully materialise. And it weakened further when stainless steel prices dropped sharply in October, with scrap traders then being notified by mills that their requirements would be lower for that month.However, limited supplies have counteracted any downward pressure on prices. "We're waiting for January, really....