The field of steel tubes, both welded and seamless, is a key sector of Italian steel industry. It kept its importance also during the peculiar economic situation we are now living, which is marked by the global crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and by a decrease of the steel production. Indeed, the whole industry has recently been hit by hard backlashes due to the increase of prices of raw materials, scrap and coils.

Joining the panel of the siderweb’s webinar “Mercato & Dintorni” to talk about the industry of welded and seamless tubes, our General & Sales Manager Giorgio Maschietto discussed with Stefano Ferrari trends and results of the first semester of 2021 and the forecast for the sector of steel service centers.

Market and Europe.

For the next six months, the main uncertainty concerns the price evolution: “the ongoing increasing price trend will continue – commented Giorgio Maschietto –, though probably with less strength. On the other side, in terms of demand, some industries will be privileged and some others disadvantaged, such as construction. Morandi is particularly active in this sector, which is going through a clear slowdown of the openings of new projects, mainly caused by the increase of raw material prices. On the contrary, we are experiencing a strong and increasing demand in the fields of metallic carpentry and products for steel mills. For 2022 we should also evaluate the impact of the Recovery Plan. All considered, we are optimistic as the forecast and expectations for our field are good”.

The Next Generation EU can also be an important contribute: “190 billion Euros have been allocated for projects in Italy and a good amount of money will be used for infrastructure and mobility. The problem, however, concerns the governance of the resources and the ability to use them to generate value. Moreover, a key role can be played by the EU Safeguard Measures, which, in my opinion, should be kept but with some adjustments”.

New Morandi.

For what concerns the market and the path of growth already begun, Giorgio Maschietto explained: “In the last two years Morandi Steel started a transformation which included the setup of a new 3d laser cutting machine. This involved a reorganization and change of attitude from a commercial logic toward a more industrial one. This rearrangement is necessary to better answer our customers’ needs and request, which are moving fast toward finished products and customized services. Therefore, we have been working to anticipate this evolution, improve our plant and make it more competitive through digitization and reduction of waste”.

Forecast.

Finally, considering the first semester of the year, our general and sales manager expresses optimism about the future: “we have already come to the half of the 2021 with good marginality and satisfying volumes. Now, with many orders already booked we are confident to close the year in line with the good performance of the first semester”.