US domestic hollow structural sections (HSS)
tubing prices have continued to firm since our last report two weeks ago; the upticks are directly tied to a $4.00 cwt. ($88/mt or $80/nt) price increase announcement HSS mills announced in early-December, when prices were heard at $43 cwt. ($948/mt or $860/nt), ex-Midwest mill.
On Dec. 21, SteelOrbis reported the average spot market price transaction range for
US domestic HSS
tubing had firmed to $43-$45 cwt. ($948-$992/mt or $860-$900/nt), ex-Midwest mill. Today, that range has firmed by an additional $1.50 cwt. ($33/mt or $30/nt) on the low end, and by $0.50 cwt. on the top end, which brings the new average transaction range to $44.50-$45.50 cwt. ($981-$1003/mt or $890-$910/nt), ex-Midwest mill.
Although the December price increase has not reached full absorption as of yet, it’s believed that
US HSS spot market prices will maintain their uptrend.
“We have been really busy this last month, December shipments were the best we had in 2017,” one source said. “We all keep hearing that the flats mills are going to announce another price increase, if that happens, the tube mills will be quick to follow.”