In Türkiye, the billet market maintained a stable outlook in both the domestic and import segments. Kardemir continued to keep its billet sales closed, with no changes reported in its latest announced prices. The producer's most recent levels stand at $525/t for 150x150 mm S235JR billet and $530/t for 150x150 mm B420 billet. The closure of sales continues to limit spot availability in the domestic market.
In the export market, Indonesian producer Dexin kept its billet offer unchanged at $483/t FOB, reflecting the generally stable sentiment observed across Asian markets. Russian billet prices also remained unchanged at $480/t FOB Black Sea, while offers to Türkiye were reported at around $505-510/t CFR. Despite stable pricing, trading activity remained limited as buyers continued to assess market direction.
In the Middle East, imported billet continued to attract interest from a limited number of buyers. Market sources indicated that a Saudi Arabian buyer is currently working to finalize the purchase of approximately 30,000 tonnes of Indonesian billet for August shipment. The targeted transaction price is reportedly around $555/t CFR Saudi Arabia, suggesting that demand remains present but highly selective.
Meanwhile, China's billet export market remained subdued. Export offers were reported at $473-476/t, but market feedback suggested that trader offers were perceived as relatively high. At the same time, declining overseas billet prices weakened the competitiveness of Chinese material, resulting in mediocre inquiry levels and poor transaction activity. The lack of buying interest continues to weigh on China's export performance.
Overall, the billet market remained balanced but sluggish, with stable supply-side fundamentals offset by weak demand conditions. Market participants are expected to remain cautious in the near term as they monitor developments in regional demand and international pricing trends.
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