European auto industry looks to HDG imports on tight domestic supply

摘要

The flow of hot-dip galvanized steel imports from China into Europe has grown due to the recent increase in European automotive demand in September-October, with nearly 80% of the HDG quota allowance for China for automotive use now exhausted, European Commission data showed Oct. 14. A supply squeeze in HDG material has pushed European domestic lead times into January-February, with expectations of further delays due to slow capacity ramp-ups from mills as the end of the fourth quarter approaches. This has forced some automotive producers to resort to Asian imports, with delivery times only slightly longer than those of European mills.