US domestic spot prices for A-53 electric resistance welded (ERW) black plain end (BPE) Grade A standard pipe have not wavered in the last two weeks. The most common transaction range is still $45.00-$46.00 cwt. ($992-$1,014/mt or $900-$920/nt) ex-Midwest mill, although buyers who are interested in booking larger tonnages can easily negotiate better deals. Demand is consistent, but not exactly robust, with buyers only placing orders on an as-needed basis.
Meanwhile, import prices for A-53 ERW BPE Grade A standard pipe from Korea are also unchanged in the past two weeks. The most commonly reported US sales price has held in the approximate range of $39.50-$40.50 cwt. ($871-$893/mt or $790-$810/nt) DDP loaded truck in US Gulf Coast ports. Trader sources, however, have said that that few, if any, have been placing futures orders beyond what is needed to fill inventory gaps. This trend has persisted for months,, evident by the most recent US Steel Monitoring Import and Analysis (SIMA) data. For the month of July, the US’ two largest sources of import standard pipe were Thailand and Korea, at 7,522 mt and 7,153 mt (license data), respectively. The third largest offshore importer was Vietnam, at 3,992 (license data).