Steel Billets
Steel billets are semi-finished long products with a square cross-section, typically 100mm to 200mm, produced via continuous casting. They are reheated and rolled into rebar, wire rod, bars, and sections. Billet pricing closely tracks scrap and iron ore costs.
- 3SP
- 5SP
- Q235
- SAE 1008
- FOB
- CFR
- CIF
Steel Billets, in brief.
- Common origins
- Turkey
- Russia
- Iran
- China
- Ukraine
- Common destinations
- United Arab Emirates
- Southeast Asia
- Egypt
- Algeria
- Bangladesh
- Grades and specifications
- 3SP
- 5SP
- Q235
- SAE 1008
- Incoterms
- FOB
- CFR
- CIF
- Unit of measure
- Metric Tons
What moves Steel Billets pricing
Billet pricing tracks scrap and iron ore inputs plus a conversion margin. Turkey (the dominant Mediterranean billet exporter) prices off Istanbul ex-works equivalents, while CIS billet (Russia, Ukraine prior to disruption) sets Black Sea benchmarks. Demand drivers include Middle East and North Africa construction, Southeast Asian rolling mill restocking, and Latin American rebar production. The billet-to-rebar spread (BIR-REB) signals re-rolling mill profitability.
How Steel Billets cargoes are priced and settled
Standard cargoes are 5,000-30,000 tonnes per parcel. Pricing is FOB Black Sea or CFR various Asian ports against MEPS or Argus benchmarks. Letter of credit dominates payment. Quality is per ASTM A615 or BS 4449 with certified mill test certificates accompanying each heat number.
Steel Billets specifications and dispute practice
Grades 3SP, 5SP, and 20MnSi cover most billet trade. Disputes turn on chemistry (carbon, manganese, sulfur, phosphorus), dimensional tolerance, and surface defects. Cropping for visible cracks at the buyer's mill is common; rejection volumes above 2% trigger commercial negotiation rather than formal arbitration in most cases.
Where Steel Billets comes from and where it goes
Major exporters: Turkey, Russia, Iran, India, Vietnam, Egypt. Major importers: Egypt (despite local production), Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia, Philippines, US (limited due to Section 232), and various Latin American re-rollers. Black Sea billet has been disrupted since 2022; Iranian billet faces sanctions complications but trades in regional markets.
Who trades Steel Billets?
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Related market pages.
- Copper CathodesCopper cathodes are 99.99% pure electrolytic copper plates, the final product of copper smelting and refining. They are the primary traded form of refined copper, used as feedstock by wire rod mills, brass mills, and foundries. LME Grade A cathodes are the global benchmark.
- Copper Wire RodCopper wire rod is a semi-finished product manufactured by continuous casting and rolling of refined copper. It is the starting material for electrical wire, cable, and conductor manufacturing. Wire rod quality is defined by oxygen content, with oxygen-free copper (OFC) commanding premium pricing.
- Copper ConcentrateCopper concentrate is a semi-processed ore product containing 20-40% copper, produced by crushing, grinding, and flotation of copper-bearing rock. It is the primary feedstock for copper smelters worldwide. Treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) are a key element of pricing negotiations.
- Copper ScrapCopper scrap is recycled copper sourced from electrical cables, plumbing, demolition, and manufacturing off-cuts. Classified by ISRI codes (e.g., Birch for No.1 bare bright, Candy for No.2 copper), it accounts for roughly 30% of global copper supply and is critical for sustainable metal production.
- Aluminum IngotsAluminum ingots are cast blocks of primary aluminum produced from smelting alumina via electrolysis. They are remelted by foundries and fabricators to produce automotive parts, construction materials, and consumer goods. Standard ingots are 99.7% purity, traded at LME prices plus regional premiums.
- Aluminum BilletsAluminum billets are solid cylindrical logs produced by continuous casting, used as feedstock for extrusion presses to create profiles for construction, automotive, and industrial applications. Alloy grades like 6063 and 6061 dominate the market, with billet diameter typically ranging from 127mm to 406mm.
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