Booking activity has been on the weak side in the Iranian seamless pipe market in line with low construction activity. Domestic and import prices for seamless pipes have been trending sideways in Iran over the past month despite low demand. The significant fall in the value of the local currency and the struggling Iranian economy have generated uncertainty, dampening purchasing activity in the Iranian market for seamless pipes. Market players believe that depressed demand will not allow Iran's seamless pipe market to improve in the short term.
Current domestic prices of Iranian production seamless pipes of 1"-4" grade B made to API 5L are at $1,000-1,050/mt ex-works. The prices exclude three percent VAT. Iranian production 1"-4" seamless pipes of grade Х52 made to API 5L are currently offered to the domestic market at on average $1,100-1,200/mt ex-works.
Import offers of Chinese seamless pipes, 2"-6" grade B made to ASTM A106/API 5L, are being given to the local Iranian market at $950-1,000/mt CFR Bandar Abbas.
Quotations of Ukrainian seamless pipes of 2"-8" size grade B as per ASTM A106 are at about $1,120-1,200/mt CFR Bandar Abbas for January production.
Russian pipes of 6"-8" grade B as per ASTM A106 are being offered to northern Iranian ports at $1,100-1,150/mt CFR from Tagmet, while 3"-8" pipes are quoted at around $1,050-1,100/mt CFR from Volzhskiy Pipe Plant for delivery in January-February.