IREPAS in Istanbul: War in Ukraine has fundamentally changed sentiment and product flows
The 86th meeting of IREPAS (the International Rebar Exporters and Producers Association) was held in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 29-31, 2022, in conjunction with the SteelOrbis Spring ’22 Conference. There were 191 producer representatives from 60 different companies among the record high 766 registered delegates from a total of 59 different countries. There were also 105 registrations representing 51 different raw material suppliers. At the opening... Read More
Short Range Outlook : May 2022
Global longs market faces challenges and uncertainties amid ongoing war in Ukraine Some oversupply is observed here and there in the global long steel products market. The market situation is getting worse. In particular, there is a vacuum in Western markets due to the war in Ukraine. Price hikes were very rapid and very steep, which could be a reason. Energy prices have negatively impacted manufacturing, especially in Europe. Inflation is another... Read More
Short Range Outlook : February 2022
Global longs market boosted by improving demand and many positive factors Demand is picking up in the global long steel products market after the holidays and it will be even better once the weather becomes warmer in the northern hemisphere. It seems the market is getting back to normal. Section 232 is practically over. General demand is strengthening with the pandemic possibly coming to an end. Bottlenecks seem to be easing somewhat, such as breakbulk... Read More
Short Range Outlook : December 2021
Demand slows in global longs market, higher costs to reduce price erosion Demand is slowing down in the global long steel products market as we have entered the slow season in the northern hemisphere and the holidays are approaching. Market activity may remain slow until the Chinese New Year holidays and so we may see further price erosion in the coming weeks. However, such erosion should be limited due to higher costs of production. There is an energy... Read More
85th IREPAS meeting : Markets have never been better, great time to be in steel business
The 85th meeting of IREPAS (the International Rebar Exporters and Producers Association) was held as a virtual event to ensure the health and well-being of all participants, on October 18, 2021 in conjunction with the SteelOrbis Fall’21 Conference. There were 223 producer representatives among the 918 registered delegates from a total of 70 different countries. There were also 69 registrations representing 31 different raw material suppliers. At... Read More
Short Range Outlook : September 2021
Supply and demand balancing out in global longs market, freight still incredibly high In the global long steel products market, there are signs that supply has caught up with demand and that the supply-demand balance is becoming more neutral. The market seems to be getting back to normal in terms of lead times, prices, etc. We are now in a period where things have to get back to normal, which in fact may be different from where it all started. A price... Read More
Short Range Outlook : June 2021
Boom continues in the global longs market, how long will it last? There is still a shortage of steel everywhere in the global long steel products market. Demand remains high in the sheltered markets. On the other hand, there is pressure from the Chinese government to reduce steel prices. It is hard to imagine that this will lead to anything but more supply shortages. If we look back at the previous price booms in the global market, circumstances... Read More
Short Range Outlook : May 2021
Global longs producers hold whip hand amid strong demand, short supply, rising prices Demand in the global long steel products market has continued to increase recently, and particularly demand in China and developed economies continues to push the market up. At the same time, international supply has tightened even further. Most mills are offering a few months ahead, thereby contributing to upward movement of prices. There are imbalances in rebar... Read More
Short Range Outlook : April 2021
Producers dominate in global longs market, outlook appears very positive Lead times are longer than ever in the global long steel products market and there is still strong demand, encouraging mills to continue increasing their prices. The situation has certainly become better from the producers’ point of view. They are all making money and their lead times are elongated. Shortages of material keeps prices and margins high It was somewhat surprising... Read More
Short Range Outlook : February 2021
Sentiment improves in global longs market, concerns remain for February and March Despite some very good margins for December, the global long steel products market is facing more concerns for February and March. China did increase its presence in the export markets and did enter at prices comparable to other sources, but ended up lowering its prices quite quickly. In the current global market circumstances, sentiment is better and so a return to... Read More