According to market sources, some European producers’ prices offers for ERW welded pipes as per EN 10219 to Austria are at €600-620/mt ($702-725/mt) CPT. Furthermore, offers from Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary to Austria are at €610-620/mt ($714-725/mt) CPT, while a Poland producer’s quotations to the same destination are at €620/mt ($725/mt) CPT. Currently, the lowest price offer for the product in question to Austria has been given by a Bulgarian welded pipe producer at €600-610/mt ($702-714/mt) CPT.
Due to uncertainty regarding whether the US government would make the temporary exemption of the European Union countries from the 25 percent tariff on imported steel permanent, European pipe producers had decreased their capacity utilization rates and had preferred not to be an active player in the global market. However, since the US government on May 31 announced that it has removed the temporary exemption of the EU from the import duty in question, the EU is expected to take counter measures in the coming period. However, it will take a couple of months for any such measures to take effect, according to market sources. For now, European welded pipe producers have suspended their sales to the US.
€1 = $1.17