Spot prices for
US domestic A-53 electric resistance welded (ERW) black plain end (BPE) Grade A standard
pipe have held steady in the past two weeks, as inquiries and order activity have trended light due to the year-end holidays. The most commonly reported spot prices are still in the approximate range of $45.00-$46.00 cwt. ($992-$1,014/mt or $900-$920/nt) ex-Midwest mill, but as in previous weeks, those who are interested in booking larger orders can easily negotiate a better price.
Meanwhile, import prices have also not wavered. Vietnamese mills continue to offer in the approximate range of $39.50-$40.50 cwt. ($871-$893/mt or $790-$810/nt) DDP loaded truck in
US Gulf Coast ports, although offshore mills are open to negotiating deals with those looking to book significant tonnages. Although recent Steel Monitoring Import and Analysis (SIMA) data has shown that offshore import tonnages have for the most part trended neutral in the last quarter, this seems to have changed this month. The most recent data (Dec. 27) show that for the month of December, import standard
pipe tonnages from
Russia are at 11,833 mt (license data); a stark difference from Russian totals seen in November, at 2,534 mt (license data).