Spot prices within the
US domestic line pipe market may have held steady in the past week, but industry insiders say that current overcapacity and short lead times are expected to change eventually as long-term demand is set to pick up. Industry experts are looking to the future, pointing out that many of the
US’ underground gas lines are between 50 and 90 years old, and see the pending Keystone Pipeline project as boon once the red tape is worked through. Although this is expected to bode well in terms of price firming, current spot price ranges have continued on their months long sideways trend, still at $54.00-$55.00 cwt. ($1,191-$1,212/mt or $1,080-$1,100/nt) ex-Midwest mill.
Meanwhile, offshore offer prices from
Vietnam and
Taiwan are also holding at sideways, in the approximate ranges of $38.00-$39.00 cwt. ($838-$860/mt or $760-$780/nt), DDP loaded truck in
US Gulf coast ports from both countries. As with last week, offers from Korean mills are also still available, at approximately $1.50 cwt. ($33/mt or $30/nt) higher than offer prices from their Taiwanese and Vietnamese counterparts.