The shortage of rolled metal has become more and more apparent in the European market, due to the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus, as well as the reduction in steel imports from these countries and some Asian ones. According to Eurofer, the lack of usual import volumes has caused an increase in prices of key products, with hot-rolled and cold-rolled products rising in price by 15% over the last three months.
In addition, logistics issues continue to destabilize the market, with rail and sea transport facing overloads and affecting delivery times. Companies in Europe are turning to alternative suppliers in the Middle East and North Africa to some extent, but this has only partially solved the problem so far.