Italian producers of welded pipes have moved their domestic prices in different directions over the past month. For example, the lower end of domestic prices for welded pipes according to EN 10208 has dropped by €30-40/mt, while the upper end has increased by €20/mt. The upper end of domestic prices for welded pipes according to EN 10219 has increased by €20/mt. Meanwhile, the price of precision welded tubes as per EN 10305-3 has risen by €50/mt during the period in question.
Export offers of Italian welded pipes rose by €10-20/mt during the past month.
Foreign welded pipe suppliers adopted contrasting price policies during the period under discussion: Romanian and Bulgarian suppliers lowered their offer prices by €10-40/mt, while Indian and Turkish suppliers raised their levels by €5-15/mt.
Furthermore, market participants believe that, given the certain degree of recovery in demand and the recent price increases for flat products in Italy, an increasing number of suppliers are likely to try to minimize reductions of their prices, or will be trying to raise them.
In particular, current local prices for Italian welded pipes of 2"-6" size with wall thickness of 2.0-4.0 mm as per EN 10219 made of S235JR HR coils are at about €385-420/mt ex-works (here and below on a theoretical weight basis). Arvedi's quotations of welded pipes up to 8" of L235 steel grade as per EN 10208, used for combustible fluids, are at €460/mt delivered (€450/mt ex-works). Offers from Ilva of the same pipes of 10"-16" size of L290 steel grade are at an average of €650/mt delivered (€610/mt ex-works), while offers of 18"-20" size are standing at €700/mt delivered (€660/mt ex-works). Domestic prices for standard-size precision welded tubes E235 grade as per EN 10305-3 are about €550/mt ex-works.
Export quotations of Italian 2"-6" welded pipes as per EN 10219 are about €420-450/mt FOB (transportation by sea) or €400-420/mt ex-works (transportation overland). In particular, offer prices for Spain are in the ranges of €450-480/mt C&F or €430-450/mt CPT.
Offers from most Turkish suppliers of industrial welded pipes with 2.4 mm wall thickness made of HR coils are standing at an average of €380-400/mt C&F to Italy and €390-410/mt C&F to Spain. The prices for Turkish welded pipes with 1.5 mm wall thickness made of CR coils are about €430-455/mt C&F to the Italian market and at €435-460/t C&F to the Spanish market.
Borusan's quotations of black welded pipes of 10"-12" size of L290 steel grade as per EN 10208 are at €570-600/mt DDP to Italy. Prices for galvanized welded pipes of 1½"-4" size of S195T steel grade according to EN 10255 are about €680-700/mt DDU to northern Italy.
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 €500-520/mt C&F. Offer prices of Romanian welded pipes (ArcelorMittal) up to 8" of L235 as per EN 10208 are about €460/mt including delivery inside Italy. Offers of Bulgarian welded pipes to the Spanish market are standing at an average of €470-490/mt CPT.