At the beginning of the week, market attention focused on the anti-dumping measures announced by Türkiye’s Ministry of Trade against certain flat steel products originating from China and South Korea. Under the regulation published in the Official Gazette, definitive anti-dumping duties were imposed on imports of cold-rolled, galvanized, and pre-painted flat steel products. While the measures, which will remain in force for five years, triggered a brief increase in market activity, some buyers were seen activating previously postponed orders. However, industry sources confirmed that the regulation did not generate a sustained or significant improvement in demand, with the market returning to its normal course within a few days.
In the hot-rolled coil (HRC) market, producer prices remained unchanged from the previous week. For August deliveries, producers in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions maintained offers at USD 630/ton, while producers in the Marmara and Black Sea regions continued to quote USD 640/ton. A similar picture prevailed in the spot market, where the average domestic HRC price remained stable at USD 660/ton. Cold-rolled coil (CRC) prices held at USD 705/ton, while galvanized coil prices also moved sideways.
The galvanized coil market likewise showed little change in pricing. Producers’ offers remained within the USD 790–820/ton EXW range. Although some increase in spot demand was reported following the implementation of the anti-dumping measures, market participants noted that shorter purchasing cycles and faster buying decisions have not yet translated into a level of demand strong enough to support higher prices.
Another closely monitored issue remains the quota restrictions currently in place. While producers continue to defend existing price levels, market participants believe that any easing or removal of quotas could lead to a new round of price adjustments. At the same time, despite rising production costs, weaker-than-expected end-user demand has prevented producers from pursuing more aggressive price increases.
In the cold-rolled coil segment, the recently announced USD 10/ton increase in list prices was met with caution by the market. Industry participants stated that the increases appeared to be aimed primarily at strengthening producers’ pricing positions, while actual transaction prices have yet to reflect a similar level of increase. Although some customers resumed purchasing activity following the regulatory changes, SteelRadar was informed that this has not developed into a broad-based wave of buying.
Sources also reported that several producers temporarily suspended sales activities at the beginning of the week due to uncertainty surrounding the newly announced duties. However, normal trading conditions resumed shortly thereafter. This suggests that while the regulation had a short-term impact on market sentiment, it failed to generate lasting demand growth.
Overall, producers in Türkiye’s flat steel market continue to seek higher prices in response to mounting cost pressures. However, weak demand remains the key obstacle limiting the success of these efforts. As a result, the sustainability of recent price increases in certain product segments will largely depend on whether actual order volumes improve in the coming weeks.
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