Trading activity in the European hot-rolled coil market remained subdued on Monday October 18, with mills and buyers both holding back from trading, sources told Fastmarkets.
Sentiment remains gloomy due to the drop in demand from the automotive segment. Auto-industry output - and, consequently, steel demand - has fallen due to a shortage of semiconductors. Market sources reported that mills supplying the automotive sector have booked about 30% less steel than the market expected. This has led to the release of more flat steel volumes to the spot market.In...