There haven’t been many changes within the
US domestic Grade A-53 ERW black plain end (BPE) standard pipe market since our last report two weeks ago, as sources close to SteelOrbis say things are “still pretty much just trucking along.”
US domestic hot rolled coil (HRC) prices seem to be showing signs of leveling and domestic scrap prices are holding mostly sideways, depending on the region; both are a good sign for standard pipe producers. In terms of market activity, that’s “still trending at OK,” according to other sources, especially thanks to the seasonal uptick in construction.
All of these factors have prices trending sideways; the average
US domestic spot price range continues to hold at approximately $42.50-$43.50 cwt. ($937-$959/mt or $850-$870/nt), ex-Midwest mill, while futures offer prices from
Korea,
Turkey and
Vietnam also holding at approximately $33.00-$35.00 cwt. ($728-$772/mt or $660-$700/nt), DDP loaded truck
US Gulf Coast ports. But as with previous weeks, all those ranges are flexible based on the tonnages a buyer is wanting to bring to the table.