TRENDS IN THE STEEL MARKET IN 2015-2016
The analysis of the rolled metal market shows that major market players can predict further pricing changes stipulated by challenging political and economic situation in the world. This article focuses on the main factors that influenced the cost of metal at the end of 2014, 2015 and early 2016 and contributed to further price fluctuation. In the new economic environment the world metal market faces dramatic changes. There arise new pricing reforms aiming diversion from a speculative component to a real market price. On the results of 2014, deflation of prices on metal made, by different sources, 12-15% compared to prices at the beginning of the year. Thus, the outlining tendencies force major Russian steel traders (e. g. EVRAZ, MMC, MIC etc.) to redirect their sales from the territory of the Russian Federation to abroad (Europe, Asia, America). According to steel output, in the first quarter of 2015 Russia remained the fifth country in the world. In the nearest future forecasts about steel production in the leading countries-producers don’t estimate any significant growth. The only exception, according to the experts, is a steel market in India, which is actively developing. Domestic product consumption in this sector defines growth rates of metallurgic industry in the mid-term perspective, according to the facts presented by the Ministry of Economic Development.