Demand in the local Turkish welded pipe market has continued to be characterized by sluggishness this week. Since local buyers in Turkey’s welded pipe market are still cautious about concluding new bookings, they are making purchases only to meet their immediate needs, maintaining a wait-and-see stance. The slackness of trading activity in the market is also due to the traditional stagnancy of the summer period and is expected to recover slightly after the Feast of Sacrifice holiday in September.
Despite the weak demand, Turkish pipe producers have kept their domestic prices stable week on week, since Turkish producers’ offers for hot rolled coil (HRC) - which is used as feedstock in steel pipe production - have remained unchanged in the same period. Turkish producers’ offers for ERW pipes and hollow sections with 2-4 mm wall thickness made from hot rolled coil (HRC) of S235 grade as per EN 10219 to the domestic market are still in the range of $480-510/mt ex-works, remaining unchanged week on week.
Meanwhile, demand for Turkish welded pipe in the export markets is still weak, while Turkish producers’ welded pipe export offers for the same grade have also remained unchanged week on week, at $450-490/mt FOB.