Turkey’s imported scrap prices remained largely stable this week, with tight supply and high freight costs supporting the market despite cautious buying from Turkish mills. MESTEEL assessed HMS 1&2 (80:20) import prices at USD 375 per ton CFR, unchanged from last week.
Scrap trading activity slowed as Turkish steel mills returned to the sidelines. Market insiders said Turkish producers are reluctant to accept further scrap price increases without an improvement in finished steel sales.
Suppliers, meanwhile, continued to maintain firm offers, supported by limited scrap availability in major exporting regions and high logistics costs. These factors have prevented prices from weakening despite subdued demand from Turkish buyers.
Billet availability also remained tight, with uncompetitive prices and longer delivery lead times discouraging Turkish mills from securing billet cargoes.
Weak long steel demand remains the main constraint. Export buyers continued to show limited acceptance of higher prices, while the seasonal summer slowdown kept purchasing activity subdued. Market insiders said the narrow margin between scrap costs and finished steel prices leaves mills with limited flexibility.
MESTEEL assessed Turkish export rebar prices at USD 580 per ton FOB, broadly stable from last week, while export wire rod prices were assessed at USD 590-595 per ton FOB.