- Weak longs demand pressures imported scrap market
- Monsoon, higher power costs keep mills on sidelines
Bangladesh’s imported ferrous scrap market remained under pressure during the week ended 15 July as sluggish long steel demand, monsoon-related disruptions, and rising production costs continued to dampen buying interest. Mills largely restricted purchases to immediate requirements, while widening bid-offer gaps limited fresh import bookings.
BigMint’s weekly assessments,CFR Chattogram
- European-origin containerised HMS (80:20): $363/t, stable w-o-w
- European-origin containerised shredded: $396/t, stable w-o-w
- Japanese-origin bulk H2: $384/t, up by $8/t w-o-w
- US-origin bulk HMS (80:20): $397/t, up by $6/t w-o-w
Market updates
Containerised scrap trading remained subdued throughout the week as weak finished steel demand continued to limit buying activity. Australian-origin shredded scrap offers softened to $390-395/t CFR, while buyers remained cautious, targeting $375-380/t CFR. South East Asia-origin PNS scrap was offered at $410-415/t CFR, although the wide bid-offer gap kept trading activity limited.
In the bulk segment, US-origin HMS 80:20 was offered at $398-400/t CFR, whereas buyer interest remained below $390/t CFR. Japanese-origin H2 scrap was heard at $385-388/t CFR, but no transactions were reported as suppliers shifted focus towards stronger demand from Vietnam following the July Kanto Tetsugen tender.
A Chattogram-based scrap importer said, “No confirmed bulk scrap bookings were concluded this week as the gap between buyer expectations and supplier offers remained too wide. US-origin HMS 80:20 is still being offered around $400/t CFR Chattogram, while buyers are closer to $380/t CFR. Similarly, PNS offers remain near $420/t CFR against workable levels of about $400/t CFR. Even though Turkish deep-sea scrap prices have fallen below $370/t CFR, suppliers have yet to lower offers to Bangladesh, keeping most buyers on the sidelines.”
Meanwhile, Oceania-origin HMS and shredded scrap were offered in the $390-405/t CFR range, with market talk of trades around $390-395/t CFR, although these could not be confirmed at the time of publication.
Recent trades
- Malaysia-origin GI bundles: 500 t booked at $325-330/t CFR Chattogram
- Brazil-origin HMS 80:20: 1,000 t booked at $345/t CFR Chattogram
A Dhaka-based trader said, “Weak construction activity, subdued long steel demand, and financial constraints continue to suppress scrap consumption. The monsoon has further slowed construction activity, while the 17% electricity tariff hike introduced in June has significantly increased steelmaking costs, squeezing mill margins and discouraging inventory build-up.”
A Southeast Asia-based trader said, “Weak steel demand is keeping scrap buying limited, with mills purchasing only for immediate requirements.”
Domestic steel fundamentals also remained soft. Local ship scrap was heard at around BDT 52,000-53,000/t ($422-430/t), billet at BDT 67,000-70,000/t ($544-568/t), and rebar at BDT 88,000-90,000/t ($714-730/t) in Chattogram and BDT 84,000-85,000/t ($682-690/t) in Dhaka. Despite relatively stable domestic prices, weak construction activity continued to limit finished steel sales and scrap demand.
Market participants expect Bangladesh’s crude steel production to decline this year from last year’s levels, as subdued downstream construction demand continues to weigh on steel consumption and keep mill operating rates low.
Outlook
Mills are expected to maintain cautious buying amid weak steel demand and monsoon disruptions. Fresh import bookings will depend on improved market fundamentals and more competitive bulk offers.
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