Activity in the Italian scrap market has almost completely halted this week. Business is at the lowest levels since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic. Trucks are not being received and truck drivers are refusing to travel to the so-called ‘red areas’ in northern Italy, Kallanish hears.

With some Italian mills having halted production (see Kallanish 11 March), merchants fear that prices together with demand will soon lower. This week however, and despite the moribund market, scrap prices remain unchanged from last week, merchants say.

Shredded scrap grade E40 remains at €245/tonne ($278/t) delivered. E8 new arisings mixed grade is at €245-250/t delivered, with €260-265/t being paid for the higher grade. Demolition grade E1 is at €235-240/t delivered and E3 is at €220-225/t, sources say. This month scrap increased €5/tonne in line with increasing prices in Turkey and other European countries (see Kallanish passim).