Hot dipped galvanised and cold rolled coil prices are increasing further in Southern European transactions and offers by an average of €20-30/tonne ($21.5-32.3/t) compared to last week.

Starting from this month, service centres are also pushing up all sheet prices again with some large company increasing their prices by €50-60/t for all HDG derivatives and by €30-40/t on all CRC products. The increases for finished products vary across the region depending on each service centre and sheet quality.

One Italian service centre tells Kallanish that the increases being asked by mills are so steep and rapid that it is sometimes difficult to adapt price lists accordingly. While last week HDG prices were between €590-600/t base ex-works in Italy and about €15-20/t higher in Spain on average, this week “… it has become hard to find material at €600/t because producers refuse to sell at this price and are asking between €620-640/t,” an Italian buyer comments.

Southern European HDGs and CRCs are forecast to reach a price of €630-650/t in January transactions. The market however will stall this week in Italy and transaction prices are not forecast to rise above €600-620/t base ex-works. The country is celebrating statutory holidays on Thursday and Friday, Kallanish notes.