EUROPE SECTIONS: Prices move downward as virus fears spread

Prices for hollow steel sections in both Northern and Southern Europe have moved down this week following the nationwide lockdown in Italy intended to control the spread of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus infection, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday March 11.

Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?600-630 ($681-715) per tonne on Wednesday, down from ?,?620-650 per tonne one week earlier.
Market participants this week spoke of how the coronavirus has affected sentiment in Italy since the country was placed into lockdown, even though transportation of material and production rates have yet to be affected.

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