Little has changed within the US domestic APIX-42 ERW line pipe market since our last report a week ago. US ex-mill spot prices are still at a flexible $45.00-$46.00 cwt. ($992-$1,014/mt or $900-$920/nt), ex-Midwest mill; while futures offers from Vietnamese and Taiwanese prices continue to come in about $200/nt less at approximately $35.00-$36.00 cwt. ($772-$794/mt or $700-$720/nt), DDP loaded truck in US Gulf coast ports. Offers from Korean producers are also said to be available at approximately $1.00 cwt. ($22/mt or $20/nt) below their Vietnamese and Taiwanese counterparts.
As with last week, everything is negotiable based on tonnages, but the big challenge, according to sources, is that those very big orders are few and far between at best.