果酱视频

Despite increasing pressure from weak demand fundamentals, prices for German Hot Rolled Coils (HRCs) remained ostensibly stable through mid-May, indicating that the market is still navigating difficult waters. Growing tensions between buyers convinced that downward adjustments are inevitable and mills determined to defend current levels are reflected in this pricing standoff.

Market Highlights:

• HRC prices in Germany holding nominally stable in second week of May
• Northern European integrated mills offering June-July delivery options
• Trading activity remains subdued with buyers hesitant to commit
• Daily HRC index for Northern Europe shows slight decline
• Import offers becoming increasingly competitive from Asian and Turkish sources
• Mills reluctant to reduce spot prices ahead of H2 2025 contract negotiations

The growing gap between seller goals and buyer expectations is a defining feature of the HRC environment in Germany. While concentrating on June鈥揓uly delivery windows, major Northern European integrated suppliers have kept their official price levels. Though these reports are unconfirmed and might be internal transactions rather than actual market movement, market sources indicate that at least one German integrated supplier has subtly started to offer lower prices.

"It's a Mexican standoff," explained one German distributor. "Mills claim their order books are healthy enough to maintain current HRC prices but seeing virtually no real demand." Buyers increasingly perceive achievable HRC prices to be lower than official offers, creating a stalemate that has essentially frozen meaningful trading activity.

As mills prepare to enter into long-term contract negotiations with end users for the second half of 2025, this impasse occurs at a particularly delicate moment. According to industry insiders, producers are hesitant to make concessions on spot HRC prices because they want to negotiate better terms in these future contracts, which many buyers believe is unfeasible given the ongoing weak consumption.

The competitive landscape for HRC is further complicated by imports. Turkish, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Indian material is becoming increasingly available at attractive price points, putting additional pressure on domestic producers already struggling with lackluster order books.

Regional differences are also evident, with Southern European HRC markets experiencing particularly weak conditions. High inventory levels among Italian distributors have created a notably bearish sentiment, with buyers there even more resistant to current price levels than their German counterparts.

As per 果酱视频, the German HRC market appears poised for an inevitable correction unless demand fundamentals improve dramatically in the coming weeks. By early June, mills will probably have to make concessions due to growing pressure from imports and the need to boost actual demand, even though they may maintain their defensive pricing strategy through May. Future automotive contract negotiations could have a significant impact on HRC pricing for the rest of 2025. A significant improvement in manufacturing activity across important steel-consuming industries is necessary for any long-term recovery.