Sources tell SteelOrbis that US import rebar offers are still not attractive enough to garner much interest, although importers have a positive outlook for the spring season. Higher construction demand, coupled with the strong likelihood of higher US domestic rebar prices, are expected to increase import activity in the coming months, but for now, orders and arrivals are struggling, with just over 5,000 mt in rebar import permits for January in the first week of the month, compared to almost 92,000 mt of import rebar arriving in January 2023.
As for offer prices, importers report a neutral trend this week, although sources say Egyptian rebar offers appear to be on a slight firming trend. For now, US import offers from Egypt are still at $39.00-$40.00 cwt. ($860-$882/mt or $780-$800/nt) DDP loaded truck in US Gulf ports, while Mexican offers are also unchanged week-on-week at $40.00-$41.00 cwt. ($882-$904/mt or $800-$820/nt) DDP Houston.