IREPAS in Munich : Protectionism and China
The 93rd meeting of IREPAS (the International Rebar Exporters and Producers Association) was held in Munich on September 28-30 in conjunction with the SteelOrbis Fall’25 Conference. There were 123 representatives from 49 different producers among the 406 registered delegates from a total of 56 different countries. There were also 79 registrations representing 41 different raw material suppliers. At the opening of the conference, Murat Cebecioglu,... Read More
Short Range Outlook : June 2024
Gloom persists in global longs market, no sign yet of corner being turned Demand in the global long steel products market continues to lag behind supply and the bottom of the market may not have been seen yet. The steel volumes being produced and being consumed are not growing. On the contrary, they are down in most regions. A lot depends on China Everyone one is expecting some move from Beijing, to slow down exports from China. The iron ore price... Read More
Short Range Outlook : November 2023
No supply-demand improvement in global longs market, regionalization prevails 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... Read More
Short Range Outlook : August 2023
General slowdown in global longs market puts producers under pressure The global long steel products market is slowing down in general, which is putting pressure on producers. Demand for reinforcing bars and wire rods remains very weak and there is strong pressure on prices from the new exporters – Algeria, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia – who are in the market with very aggressive offers. Business still stagnant in US, high interest... Read More
Short Range Outlook : February 2023
Unpredictability persists in global longs market, recession fears may have been exaggerated The global long steel products market is still characterized by unpredictability. China’s impact on the global markets is still an open question and this contributes to the unpredictability for the second quarter. It seems that customers heard too much talk of recession last year and were convinced that all construction would stop in 2023. Actually, it looks... Read More
Short Range Outlook : April 2022
War in Ukraine a major gamechanger for global longs market The war in Ukraine has changed sentiment in the global long steel products market as well as fundamentally altering the flow of raw materials and finished products almost overnight. There is more demand than secure supply in the market. Before the war, the expectations were that demand would determine the direction of prices, contrary to 2021 when supply was the driving factor. Today, however,... Read More
Short Range Outlook : November 2021
Supply and demand balanced in global longs market, energy costs and logistics bring uncertainties Supply and demand are balanced in the global long steel products market, as regional producers are now back to almost normal lead times. Energy prices are soaring and logistical challenges have made business more uncertain, though underlying demand remains solid in Europe and North America. The ongoing weakness in China may slow its imports, which could... 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 : 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 : January 2020
Global longs market appears in better shape, with sentiment also improving The global long steel products market is surely in a better shape today although we have yet to emerge from a slow-activity period due to the holidays in Europe and around the globe. However, real sentiment in the market is pretty positive, especially after the announcement that a trade deal between the US and China will be signed. That said, we have to keep in mind the possibility... Read More