After a spike in prices due to the introduction of import tariffs on steel in the US, market sentiment in the hot-rolled coil sector began to stabilize. According to Kallanish, offers from US producers decreased from $975 to $952 per ton EXW between April 11 and April 25. This decline was a result of reduced demand following the implementation of a 25% tariff on imports of all types of metal products. Despite the short-term price drop, demand remained stable, which is preventing a rapid decline in prices.
This is reported by Business • Media
According to consulting firm Cox Automotive, US passenger car sales in April increased by 4.6% year-on-year, totaling 1.395 million vehicles. However, this figure is 12% lower than in March 2025, despite the same number of trading days. Experts believe that last month was speculative due to the introduction of a 25% tariff on imported cars in the US. Consumer sentiment regarding car purchases has also stabilized, and the reduction of vehicle inventories from 3 to 2.7 million units in March may encourage automakers to increase their purchases of steel products.
Prices for Hot-Rolled Coils in Other Regions and Forecasts
In the Indian sector, the price of hot-rolled coils increased by $8 to $600 per ton FOB as of April 25. In the first month of the financial year, prices in India showed an upward trend, but given the new developments, the price may change soon. In the Southern European region, prices decreased by €5 to €540 per ton CIF. Meanwhile, in China, prices for hot-rolled coils remained stable at $470 per ton FOB, and the market has been experiencing a downward price trend since October 2024, possibly reaching a bottom. This is confirmed by a $7 increase in futures prices for May on the Shanghai Exchange, rising to $446–449 per ton. However, analysts do not predict a rapid recovery in prices, and contracts for delivery in October were sold for $439 per ton last week. This is attributed to the fact that the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China did not make significant economic decisions on April 25. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, steel production in China increased by 4.6% in March 2025 compared to last year, reaching 92.84 million tons, the highest figure in the last 10 months.