German steel traders and producers expected prices to remain strong during February, though the expectation was less firm month on month as mills tried to aim for higher prices but buyers held back, according to an S&P Global Commodity Insights survey.

The February index for traders’ sentiment stood at 60 points, compared to 68.75 points in January, data from S&P Global’s German Steel Sentiment Survey showed.

The index for producers’ sentiment was 62.50 points, compared with a January index of 87.50 points, showing that producers were significantly less firm compared to traders regarding near term price increases.

The overall index for prices was at 61.25 points, compared with 78.13 points for January.

Overall, steelmakers in Europe were aiming for higher prices for steel products.