[Turkey] Recently, Turkish long steel giant Kardemir launched a new round of billet sales. By slightly lowering its list prices, the company rapidly attracted a large volume of domestic orders and subsequently closed the sale. The company offered S235JR grade billets at 530 USD/tonne (EXW), a decrease of 5 USD/tonne from the previous round, while B420 grade billets were priced at 540 USD/tonne (EXW), down by 10 USD/tonne.

China's steel billet exports performed strongly in Q1 2026, showing a continuous growth trend. According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's steel billet exports in March 2026 reached 1.53 million mt, up 66.0% MoM and up 47.9% YoY, hitting a record high for a single month in the same period in recent years.

JSW Steel delivered record production and sales in FY2024-25, but weaker steel realizations dragged down revenue and margins, creating a clear growth paradox: higher volumes but lower earnings quality. As India’s largest steelmaker, JSW’s next challenge is to turn its scale into more resilient earnings through higher VASP contribution, stronger raw material security, selective overseas improvement, technology partnerships, and decarbonization readiness.

[SMM Steel] Global steel and raw material prices continued rising in April 2026, with HRC, billet, scrap, and iron ore prices increasing 6.3–18.9% YoY, while coking coal surged 30.1% YoY. Imported US HMS 1/2 80:20 scrap prices to Vietnam rose 7.1% MoM and 13.8% YoY, while imported HRC prices also increased sharply in late April. In Vietnam, domestic HRC prices increased by around VND 900–988/kg, and coated steel prices continued rising with some mills raising prices 4–5 times during the month due to higher input costs. Against this backdrop, VNSTEEL’s total finished steel consumption in the first four months of 2026 increased 16.9% YoY, with long steel sales rising 30% and metal products growing 37.4%, supported by improving domestic construction and infrastructure demand.

[SMM Steel] Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has awarded a turnkey contract to SMS Group to modernize billet casting facilities at its Durgapur Steel Plant. The project will revamp two existing casters and is expected to increase capacity by over 60%, supporting long steel production such as rebar and wire rod. Implementation will proceed in two phases, with commissioning scheduled for Q4 2027 and Q3 2028, alongside the introduction of new billet sizes and upgraded casting technologies.

War damage to Iran’s key steel mills threatens ~14 Mt of capacity, sharply reducing crude steel output and exportable supply. While domestic demand remains relatively stable, energy shortages and logistics disruptions amplify losses, tightening regional supply, supporting semi-finished steel prices, and reshaping trade flows.