German rebar mills have made another attempt to raise prices over previous contracts, with the latest increase seen as more realistic than those announced in December. The base price is now set at €380 per tonne, with the standardised size extra of €265 per tonne bringing the delivered price to €645 per tonne. Despite previous unsuccessful attempts to push up prices in the new year, mills are hopeful that the combination of elevated scrap and electricity prices will support the increase. Some buyers believe that prices could soon reach €650 per tonne delivered.

However, not all market participants are convinced that a new price level will be established soon, given the low level of inquiries and orders. Recent offers still put rebar at €360 per tonne and wire mesh at €460 per tonne, with a delivered price of around €625 per tonne for rebar. By December, many customers had placed orders for replenishment at base prices well below €350 per tonne, leading to full order books that encouraged mills to target €400 per tonne. Although this level was never attained, the current hike is seen as more likely to succeed or at least stabilize prices. Some analysts predict that prices will move sideways until April.