The supply and demand situation in the global long steel products market is not getting any better, which continues to put pressure on producers. The increasing political influence on trade flows and particular markets in the form of antidumping and/or countervailing duties including also supply chain restrictions are leading to a more and more regionalized trade with a fairly unhealthy supply and demand balance.

Market unlikely to improve as China keeps exporting and holiday season approaches

As long as China keeps exporting over 6 million metric tons of steel products per month, it appears highly unlikely much improvement will be seen in the market. We are also approaching the end of the year, in other words, the holiday season, which is another factor that will contribute to a slowdown in the markets.

Turkish exports hit by war in Israel, Yemen’s involvement and poor EU demand

The recent situation in Israel and now Yemen’s possible involvement will have a big impact on Turkish reinforcing bar exports. On the other hand, EU demand is not improving and does not offer much hope to Turkish mills in the near future. Capacity utilization among Turkish long product producers is around 50 percent

Some price improvement in EU, but demand remains weak

In the EU, prices have recovered from the lows of the summer due to the shortage of stocks. Going forward, demand remains weak, but mills’ offers are defined by rising scrap and energy costs.

Demand for long products slows down in the US, where as flats are strongly up after end of UAW strike

In the US, demand seems to be slowing down for long products as most buyers are reluctant to purchase material that will arrive at the end of the year, in order to avoid year-end taxes. The US domestic market has seen some good news with UAW and auto producers more or less agreeing terms and returning to business and unprecedented gains on flat products. The end of the UAW strike was one of the reasons of the significant increase in HRC prices seen.

Imports are on the decrease and mostly coming from two neighboring countries subject to zero Section 232 duty, making business more regional, like in Europe. There are more protectionist measures being discussed, with the ineffectiveness of the WTO helping to make globalization history.

Scrap generation in Europe on low side

Slow economic development in Europe has slowed the availability of scrap. The recycling business has been struggling to generate sustainable volumes. There is low demand from the European steel sector and yet lower scrap generation. North American scrap is exported at comparatively lower prices than US domestic prices, at up to US$50-75/mt lower depending on the calculation. However, the volumes for many of the export markets are heavily reduced.

Sanctions against Russia likely to be tightened, US and EU to maintain trade remedies

The sanctions against Russia will be tightened. It looks like the US and the EU will maintain their trade remedies despite the WTO rules. They are even discussing further action against China.

China’s demand keeps raw material prices at relatively high levels

Strong demand for iron ore from China has been pushing up scrap prices, which have thus been maintained at higher-than-expected levels. It is hard for steel mills to decrease prices when raw materials are relatively expensive. China, on the other hand, has started raising its export prices, but whether the prices will hold is questionable.

Market status unstable for some regions, stable at low level for others

Under these circumstances, the current status of the market can be described as unstable for some regions and stable but at a low level for others.

Outlook for next quarter pessimistic or quiet and sideways at best

It looks like all the engines are slowing down, but inflation is also coming down. The outlook for the next quarter is pessimistic or quiet and sideways at best, but we may look for better times in the second quarter of 2024.

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At the opening of the conference, Murat Cebecioglu, chairman of IREPAS, emphasized that the industry is experiencing a very difficult period for world trade. Cebecioglu said that the US tariffs have triggered similar protectionist reactions from certain other countries. Not only the US, but others as well are using every possible alternative to assign maximum antidumping or countervailing duties or quotas in each case, whether this is fair or not, he added.

The IREPAS chairman also stated that the global long steel products market is depressed at the moment and added that many steel producers have already started slowing down their operations, extending maintenance and idling facilities.

On the last day of the conference, producers of long steel products, as well as traders and raw material suppliers, shared the conclusions reached at their special committee meetings regarding the current situation in the markets with the general participants at the event.

Raw Material Suppliers at IREPAS: Trade barriers contribute to slower growth

Jens Björkman, the chairman of the raw material suppliers committee, said that scrap prices have seen dramatic decreases in past months. He added that trade barriers are negatively affecting growth and in turn scrap generation. Trade conflicts between the US and China, Turkey and the US, and South Korea and Japan have all contributed to slower growth in the past year.

Commenting on Russia’s quota and license system for scrap exports, Mr. Björkman said that this will limit scrap availability from Russia, affecting tonnages. He pointed out that the quota and license system creates a bit of confusion as it depends on the exporting region, while he added that scrap exports from Russia are expected to be 30-50 percent lower.

Björkman also highlighted the issue of the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulation, that will limit sulphur dioxide emissions as of January 1, 2020, explaining that this will raise logistics costs and indeed has already done so, as the number of ocean-going vessels has been reduced to comply with this new rule, and significant price hikes in logistics costs have been witnessed in recent months.

He also pointed out that the slowdown in the automotive industry is affecting the whole supply chain, posing a very big challenge for recyclers as it is one of the largest industries that recycle. The committee chairman said that another problem last year was German recyclers’ insufficient capacity for incineration, which is used to get rid of organic waste from the shredding process.

He went on to say that the major challenge for the raw materials segment is the recession in Turkey, with demand for construction steel declining and scrap demand going down as well. Mr. Björkman said he thought this situation is likely to continue for at least one more year and will result in lower scrap prices amid reduced demand. He added that scrap suppliers have already witnessed a 15-20 percent decline in scrap inflow and indicated that this trend is expected to continue.

Regarding the declines in iron ore prices, the committee chairman said that there is still a structural deficit when it comes to iron ore supply. Although he said that it is difficult to talk about prices for the long term, he stated that current iron ore availability is below necessary levels because of the Vale dam disaster.

Traders at IREPAS agree EU quota changes specifically target Turkey

Wilhelm Alff from Duferco, the chairman of the traders committee, said that the main question is whether the trade conflict between the US and China is coming to an end. He expressed the view that it will probably go on as long as the administrations do not change. “In any case, the result will not change much as China is not in the US market,” Mr. Alff said. Commenting on the possible reduction in the US of antidumping duties on Turkish rebar, the committee chairman said that this will not help because Turkey cannot compete with domestic producers nor with Mexico which has zero duty. Against this backdrop of trade barriers, he said the role of a trader is becoming more vital as the trader acts as a risk-taker.

He pointed out that electric arc furnaces have a $40-50/mt price advantage compared to blast furnaces and said that the traders committee expects that this gap will become more balanced in the near future as they believe the downtrend in scrap prices seems to reaching the end.

Mr. Alff said that, with Turkey reducing capacity utilization to approximately 50 percent, a substantial reduction has been seen in the material which is available in the market. He added that, as the US and EU markets are closed, Turkish mills are looking to the Far East, Yemen, Israel and Africa. Turkish exporters have already taken away some market shares from the Chinese mills who had been dominant in the Far Eastern markets. The Duferco official pointed out that, although Chinese mills have increased their production, most of this has been consumed domestically and put into stocks.

The committee chairman said that China will not be entirely absent from the market in terms of long products, but definitely they can hardly compete with Turkey and Middle Eastern countries. Turkey seems to be in a better position today in the ASEAN region; however, it is out of necessity rather than out of desire, he noted.

Commenting on the recent changes in the EU safeguard duty, Alff agreed that the changes are specifically targeting Turkey. He went on to point out that, while determining the quota, the EU left out the year when Turkey had exported the most products to the EU and that, as a result, Turkey got a relatively small quota. He also remarked that there are other countries concerning which you would wonder why they received a large quota that they will probably never use.

Producers at IREPAS: Only bright spot is possible reduction in US AD rates on Turkish rebar

Murat Cebecioğlu, chairman of IREPAS and also of the producers committee, said that during the producers committee meeting the main topic under discussion was protectionism. Recalling that the due to tariffs in the US it is not possible for Turkey to export to this market, he pointed out, however, that the preliminary results of the AD review in the US on Turkish rebar signal that the duty rates might come down. Mr. Cebecioğlu said that, if this happens, it will help Turkish exporters. He added that trade measures have changed the way business is shaped. “Exporters become importers and imports become exporters,” he noted.

The IREPAS chairman stated that most Turkish producers are slowing down their operations or are extending maintenance periods. He went on to remark that, with the major markets closed, Turkey is left with South America and Africa for its exports, while the number one and number two markets for Turkish exports are currently Yemen and Israel. “At the moment, things do not look so bright, if protectionist measures keep on like this,” he said. He added that the only bright spot is the antidumping duty review in the US. Given the fact that the EU is trying to toughen the rules on safeguards, he said that he did not really know what to expect but commented that “things are not good at the moment”.

Amid difficulties in finished steel sales, Turkish exporters have turned to billet exports. The producers committee chairman said that, if the current situation continues, Turkish billet exports might see further increases.

Commenting on the possible change in the US tariff on Turkish steel, Mr. Cebecioğlu said that, if the tariffs are replaced with a quota, this will be to Turkey’s advantage, although he said he did not know which year they would take into consideration to set up quotas. He said he hoped a quota is established, though adding that he did not know what the US side will ask in return.

Regarding the new changes suggested in billet import duty in Egypt, Cebecioğlu said that a 50 percent reduction in the duty rate would give importers relief as Egypt has traditionally been a billet import market.

Mr. Cebecioglu added that there is positive sentiment among the European based steel producers as there is certain growth in Europe but it certainly is not enough.

At the opening of the conference Murat Cebecioglu, chairman of IREPAS, said that IREPAS firmly believes in, has supported and will always continue to support free and fair trade in steel but is very concerned by the recent developments triggered by the unilateral US tariffs, which are unjustified and against the World Trade Organisation rules and principles.

The IREPAS chairman stated that, in spite of all such protectionist measures, the global long steel products market is currently in a positive mood amid good demand worldwide. He added that, had there not been protectionist actions like the additional tariffs, quotas or safeguard measures, the global business scenario would certainly be much better. Mr.Cebecioglu said that protectionism is like a virus, expanding and hurting the international trade environment.

On the last day of the conference, producers of long steel products, as well as traders and raw material suppliers, shared the conclusions reached at their special committee meetings regarding the current situation in the markets with the general participants at the event.

Raw material suppliers at IREPAS : Two major events have impacted the market

Jens Björkman, chairman of the raw material suppliers committee, said that, since the previous IREPAS meeting held in September 2018 in Istanbul, two major events have impacted the raw materials market. The first of these events was the significant reduction in production by Turkish steel producers – the leading buyers of scrap in the world – and the corresponding reduction in their demand for scrap. Turkish mills’ scrap demand has stabilized somewhat since then but it still remains at low levels, a fact which scrap suppliers will have to get used to. Mr. Björkman said that most of the raw materials committee members believe that they will continue to see reductions in Turkish demand for scrap due to poor domestic market conditions in Turkey.

According to the committee chairman, the second major event that influenced the raw materials market was the iron ore waste dam collapse in Brazil, which has had a strong influence on iron ore prices. He added that iron ore prices increased by 20 percent within a short time and that prices have continued to move upwards. Mr. Björkman also touched upon some other factors affecting the raw materials market, namely, the low water levels on the Rhine which had made logistics extremely difficult and costly, leading to a slowdown in the accumulation of scrap at ports for export. He stated that the slowing down of the EU automotive sector in the last six months led to the lower availability of prime scrap for export.

The committee chairman said that there has been some buildup of scrap demand in areas such as Southeast Asia, South America and North Africa, which is balancing the reduced demand from Turkey though not entirely. Answering a question about the influence of the Section 232 tariffs on US scrap exports, Mr. Björkman said that in the past few months there have been some reductions in US scrap exports, partly because of lower import needs from Turkey and partly due to stronger demand in the US domestic market, adding that US domestic scrap demand is driving down the availability of scrap for exports.

Regarding steel production in the EU, he pointed out that it has declined somewhat in the first few months of the current year, while both demand for scrap in the EU and intra-EU trade have been active and strong.

Commenting on the financing of the scrap trade, Mr. Björkman said that, right after the currency crisis in Turkey, availability of letters of credit was tight in the country and financing costs for Turkish mills increased substantially, with the currency fluctuations making these issues much more challenging.

Traders at IREPAS: Safeguard measures have a major impact on trade

Representing the IREPAS traders committee, F.D. Baysal said that safeguard measures are having a major impact on steel trade. Referring to a question by his fellow traders, Mr Baysal commented on Turkey’s alternative markets and said that Africa will by no means replace the US and the EU as a destination for Turkish exports. Mr. Baysal said there are not a lot of places the extra supply in Turkey could go to and the only solution is reducing capacity utilization.

Answering a question regarding the potential for Iran’s billet exports, Mr. Baysal said that Iran is not likely to produce steel any cheaper than Turkey, Saudi Arabia or Algeria, while sanctions make it almost impossible to buy Iranian steel.

Mr. Baysal also stated that, while the Chinese government is taking serious measures and reducing production, Chinese suppliers will definitely not be absent from the global market but, as they are more contented in their domestic market, they will be less destructive in terms of pricing in the export markets. He added that the cut in VAT in China will help stimulate the economy.

Producers at IREPAS:  Importers have become exporters and vice versa

Mr Murat Cebecioglu, chairman of IREPAS and also of the IREPAS producers committee, said that GDP is growing in most countries worldwide although growth is slower than expected in some markets. Nevertheless, he added that things are getting better, which signals good demand. The IREPAS chairman said that protectionist measures are spreading like a virus throughout the world, changing trade flows.

He pointed out that importers have become exporters and vice versa. Mr. Cebecioglu stated that US President Trump totally destroyed the markets with tariffs and that others are following suit, starting a chain effect, increasing customers’ costs and ultimately causing economies to slow down.

Answering a question about the troubled Turkish exports, Mr. Cebecioglu said that the main export markets for Turkey have become Yemen and Israel, with the US and Canada being out of reach. However, the committee chairman reiterated that the Turkish steel industry has gone through difficult times before and will get through this one as well.

The global long steel products market is currently in a positive mood amid good demand worldwide. Had there not been protectionist actions like additional tariffs, quotas or safeguard measures, the global business scenario would be much better. Protectionism is like a virus, expanding and hurting the international trade environment as we knew it.

Canada and Mexico follow the US and also jump on the protectionist bandwagon

In the Americas, after the US, Canada has also got on the bandwagon though not with the same intensity, and now Mexico has announced that it will be reinstating the 15 percent duty on steel imports. Demand in all three countries is strong, but the benefit goes to domestic mills only.

Canada and Mexico expected to eventually sign USMCA agreement

It seems that Canada will be the first to sign the USMCA (the new NAFTA) agreement, if they agree to a quota to replace the tariffs. Politics in both the US and Canada could delay this: however, it appears that the earliest resolution could happen by late summer. Mexico’s signing of the agreement may be delayed months after the signing by Canada.

US and China appear to be moving closer to a trade deal

On the other hand, the negotiations between China and the US seem to be improving as we read reports saying that they are getting closer to a trade deal. Obviously, the markets in China and Asia are all awaiting news on the China vs US feud.

EU quotas boost domestic markets, strengthening dollar discourages imports

The recently implemented quotas in the EU are having a very positive effect on the EU producers’ capacity utilisation and increasing their margins significantly. In addition, with the US dollar gaining strength against the Euro, imports are even getting less and less attractive which further improves EU producers’ advantage in the market.

Exporters continue to suffer amid uncertainties in the global market

Both US and EU mills still enjoy good business in their respective domestic markets with margins like never before thanks to the tariffs and safeguard measures in place. However exporters continue to suffer due to the uncertainties in the global market. The market players who benefit from fair and free trade are suffering because of protectionism and the current political mood.

Demand for ferrous scrap has recovered since the start of the year

The European, US, Chinese markets are all performing well with strong domestic demand for steel which drives scrap demand. Accordingly, demand for ferrous scrap has returned since the beginning of the year. After seeing bottom levels in December, the long steel products market has started moving in an upward direction since January and is also supported by raw material prices.

Turkish long product steel mills continue to suffer

The global steel market is indeed characterized by a positive mood at the moment, but the Turkish long product mills are still struggling because of protectionism in the global market and the lack of domestic consumption.

Turkish suppliers face shrinking export opportunities

Not many markets are left in which Turkish exporters can conclude business, as both the US and Canadian markets are closed because of duties, and the new quota regime makes it difficult to do business in Europe. The GCC and Far Eastern markets are also out of reach to Turkish suppliers for the moment because of the price gap. The remaining target markets are Central and South America, North and South Africa, Israel and Yemen, but the volume that can be generated from all these countries is quite limited.

Steel mills’ margins still positive though not as good as last year

The good news is that most steel mills globally have positive margins despite all the ups and downs, even though the margins are not as good as last year. Also, despite the increase in iron ore prices, scrap prices have not moved up at the same rate.

Good domestic demand in China continues to keep Chinese exports in check

Chinese exports are still being held relatively in check thanks to good demand in the Chinese domestic market. No downward price trend is expected in the short run in China due to the additional state support for the market. Also, the outlook for a deal with the US will help to keep the Chinese economy on an increasing GDP trend. Expectations for China and the US to reach an agreement on trade tariffs toward the end of March have been driving the financial markets for some time.

Strong competition exists in the international markets not blocked by protectionism

Competition is limited and moderate in most markets due to protectionism, tariffs and quotas. The markets are having to adjust accordingly as the playground is smaller now. There is strong competition in those limited number of markets which are not closed to international market players by protectionism.

Outlook for global longs market still satisfactory despite ongoing instability

The current status of the global long steel products market is perceived as being mostly unstable due to the aforementioned reasons. Having said that and despite all the existing issues, the outlook is still satisfactory, even though it remains challenging.

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At the opening of the conference which celebrated the 35th year of this bi-annual meeting, Murat Cebecioglu, chairman of IREPAS, said that free and fair trade is one of the few unambiguously good principles and allows resources to flow to their point of best use, helping countries and companies to thrive and prosper.

Mr. Cebecioğlu emphasized that IREPAS has continuously been an advocate for free and fair trade, while admitting that these are unfortunately difficult times for world trade. The IREPAS chairman said that the unilateral US tariffs, which are unjustified and in contravention of World Trade Organisation rules and principles, are inspired by protectionism. The IREPAS chairman stated that there is a certain overcapacity problem in the industry, adding, however, that many countries faced with such tariffs are not the source of the problem but, on the contrary, are equally hurt by it. Mr Cebecioğlu went on to say that it is very difficult to negotiate when trade measures are used as a political weapon and to threaten other countries. The IREPAS chairman concluded by saying that, in spite of such drastic developments, business sentiment in the market is still positive, though with fluctuations in certain areas due to ongoing instability.

On the last day of the conference, producers of long steel products and steel billets, as well as traders and raw material suppliers, shared the conclusions reached at their special committee meetings regarding the current situation in the markets with the general participants at the event.

Raw material suppliers at IREPAS : Strong demand observed for scrap

Jens Björkman, chairman of the raw material suppliers committee, said that ferrous scrap prices have seen some volatility in the past months but generally the scrap market is building on a positive trend seen since 2016. He added that, with Chinese domestic steel consumption rising and better capacity utilization rates around the world, raw material suppliers have been enjoying stronger scrap demand. Regarding scrap destinations, the raw material suppliers committee chairman said that there has been growth seen in demand from Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico and Bangladesh.

According to Mr. Björkman, due to import tariffs in the US, scrap demand in the US domestic market has been stronger and, while scrap prices in the US dropped by $20/mt in September, they are likely to rebound in October. Regarding the import quotas in the EU, Björkman said that this has also resulted in improved demand in the domestic market. As a consequence, scrap supply has tightened slightly and volumes set aside for export have decreased. However, he stressed that uncertainty exists regarding the future of the trade measures in the EU as they have a February deadline.

Mr Björkman also commented that the inflation and the devaluation of the currency in Turkey, the epicenter of the scrap universe, slowed down Turkish domestic demand for steel products, though lately steel exports have kept production at elevated levels and Turkish demand for scrap has been maintained. He stated that the possibility of a slowing down in scrap demand in Turkey will potentially have a negative impact on scrap prices.

Traders at IREPAS: Trade measures and possibility of additional tariffs under the spotlight

Representing the IREPAS traders committee, F.D. Baysal said that the traders committee focused on trade measures, discussing whether any additional tariffs might come into effect which he finds unlikely. Regarding possible trade measures by Canada, Mr. Baysal said that Canada is rightfully protecting its industry from the diversion of trade which was originally targeting the US market. “I hope they will not go overboard and kill trade with other countries”, he added. The committee chairman underlined that in a protectionist environment “what is going to suffer is quality along with price”, saying that however, it will be difficult to maintain protectionist measures in the long run.

The committee chairman indicated that producers in the US are enjoying their best period, but not producers in other parts of the world. “In China, the economy and production is improving. Most of the production will eventually  turn into exports. He stated that he was very optimistic about the ability of China’s environmental policy to reduce production, adding though that he has learned that China will build 40 new electric arc furnaces, meaning that even less pollutant Chinese production capacity will increase.

Commenting on the graphite electrode situation, Baysal said that electrode prices are still high right now and that the traders committee does not expect any supply shortage. He added that the committee thinks iron ore prices will probably remain steady, while scrap prices will come under downward pressure due to the demand situation in Turkey and possibly Argentina.

Producers at IREPAS: The name of the game today is protectionism

Mr Murat Cebecioglu, chairman of IREPAS and also of the IREPAS producers committee, stated, “The name of the game today is protectionism. It has become a bargaining chip”. Mr Cebecioglu said that the 3 percent growth and the growing private construction in Spain along with similar situation in Portugal are good news for the long products producers. As the recovery is in progress for the Greek economy, there is positive trend in Bulgaria and good fundamentals are suppoorting the market in GCC, the sentiment in the market is positive he added. Mr Cebecioglu stressed that Turkish mills are flexible and will find new markets to replace the US, though he added that producers in general are concerned that there will be an even further surge in protectionist measures if countries do not come together to discuss the issue at the World Trade Organization (WTO) level.

Regarding the price increases and expectations of higher profits for steel producers in the US following the introduction of trade measures, Mr. Cebecioglu said that the US mills are effectively shaping US trade policy.

Commenting on the retroactive duties Canada imposed on Turkish rebar, the IREPAS chairman remarked that Canada has started three cases against Turkey within one year, adding that the producers committee does not know what to expect concerning Canada’s measures on steel imports in response to the US measures, but he believes this will become clearer within a couple of weeks.

Mr. Cebecioglu stated that the US has to continue importing rebar as its domestic capacity is not sufficient. As a result, a lot of countries are expected to increase their share in the US market, such as Portugal and Spain, and he added that even Bulgaria has started to export rebar to the US. Regarding Turkey, with the US market closed to Turkish imports, the IREPAS chairman said that Yemen has become the number one export market for Turkish long products, and he also underlined that Turkey has a very structured domestic rebar market and so the absence of the US as an export market will not have any downward effect on Turkey’s production. He also listed the Far Eastern and North African countries as target markets for Turkey.