As was expected a month ago, due to recent price increases for flat products in Italy local producers of welded pipes have tried to minimize reductions of their prices and have even raised them, though not by too great a margin, in some cases by €5-10/mt compared to one month previous. However, during July market players expect a €30-40/mt price increase for welded pipes from Italian manufacturers. This expectation is based on strong optimism regarding support from local consumers as a demand improvement is currently noted in Italy's welded pipe market, in particular from the automobile and construction sectors. Nevertheless, the approaching summer holidays in Europe have to be taken into consideration and the Italian market in August could be very quiet.
Current domestic offers of Italian welded pipes of 2"-6" size with wall thickness of 2.0-3.2 mm S235 as per EN 10219 are being given at on average €420/mt ex-works. Prices here and below are given on theoretical weight basis. At the same time Marcegaglia's prices of hollow sections as per EN 10219 made from S235JR HR coils are around €500/mt. Quotations of ½"-6" welded steel pipes with wall thickness 1.5-4.0 mm as per EN 10025 made of S235JR HR coils are at about €390-400/mt ex-works. Domestic quotations of precision welded tubes of standard sizes grade E235 made according to EN 10305-3 are at about €550/mt ex-works. Pickled pipes of sizes up to 6" from Italian producers are being offered to the domestic market at around €540-550/mt ex-works, with galvanized pipes at about €620/mt ex-works.
Current offers of precision welded thin-wall pipes made to EN 10305-3 are at €750-800/mt ex-works for pipes made from CRC DC01 grade (in particular, 60 x 1.0 mm and 102 x 1.2 mm pipes) and at €700-750/mt ex-works for pipes made from HRC S235JR grade (in particular, 154 x 1.5 mm and 219 x 2.5 mm pipes). Large diameter welded pipes (in particular, 280 x 3.0 mm) are quoted at about €950/mt ex-works.
Export quotations of Italian 2"-6" welded pipes as per EN 10219 are at about €450/mt FOB (transportation by sea) or €420/mt ex-works (transportation overland). In particular, offer prices for Spain are in the range of €470-480/mt C&F or €450/mt CPT.
Most offers of Turkish ERW pipes with wall thickness of 2-4 mm made from HRC are being given on average at €470-500/mt C&F to Italy and at €475-505/mt C&F to Spain. Quotations of Turkish welded pipes of 1.5 mm wall thickness made from CR coils vary in the range of €550-600/mt C&F to Italy and €560-605/mt C&F to Spain.
Quotations of Indian black welded pipes of 1"-6" size as per BS 1387 or DIN 2440/2444 or EN 10255 are at the level of €560-580/mt C&F Italy. Offers of Bulgarian welded pipes to the Italian market have risen to €470-490/mt CPT, while the same offers to the Spanish market have increased to €490-510/mt CPT.