In September players in Italy's welded pipe market were fairly optimistic due to the improved levels of demand. However, in early October the situation has changed, with new orders becoming scarce. Currently, prices for flats in the Italian market are stable despite the slight decrease in the international flats market. Italian producers are offering HRC at the level of €410-440/mt ex-works. The price policy of Italian welded pipe producers varies depending on the kind of pipes involved. In particular, the price range of locally produced welded pipes as per EN 10219 has widened: over the past month the lower end has decreased by €10/mt, while the upper end has risen by €10/mt. Local producer Arvedi's quotations of welded pipes made to EN 10208 have decreased by €35/mt, at the same time Ilva's offers from its stocks have remained unchanged. The prices of standard-size precision welded tubes as per EN 10305-3 have increased by €30-40/mt over the period under review. Quotations of precision welded thin wall pipes made to EN 10305-3 have stayed at the previous levels. The lower end of export prices of Italian welded pipes has decreased by €10/mt over the past month, while the upper end has risen by €20/mt. Due to the slackening of demand for welded pipes in the Italian market and also given the cheap offers from Turkish suppliers, there does not seem to be any possibility that Italian welded pipe prices will rise in the coming weeks.
Current local prices for Italian welded pipes of 2"-6" size with wall thickness of 2.0-4.0 mm as per EN 10219 made of base steel grade S235JR HR coils are at about €450-510/mt ex-works (here and below on a theoretical weight basis and excluding 20 percent VAT). Italian producer Arvedi's quotations of welded pipes up to 6" of L235 steel grade as per EN 10208, used for combustible fluids are at €535/mt delivered (€530/mt ex-works) for October production. Offers from Italian mill Ilva for the same pipes of 10"-12" size of L290/L360 steel grade from its stocks are at an average of €630/mt delivered (€590/mt ex-works), while offers of 14"-20" size are standing at €700/mt delivered (€660/mt ex-works). Domestic prices for standard-size precision welded tubes E235 grade as per EN 10305-3 are at about €650-660/mt ex-works. Offers of galvanized cold formed steel pipes of up to 4" size as per EN 10255 from Arvedi's stocks are at around €820/mt delivered (€810/mt ex-works).
Current local offers of precision welded thin wall pipes made to EN 10305-3 are at €770-820/mt ex-works for pipes made from CRC DC01 grade (in particular, 60 x 1.0 mm and 102 x 1.2 mm pipes) and at €720-770/mt ex-works for pipes made from HRC S235JR grade (in particular, 154 x 1.5 mm and 219 x 2.5 mm pipes). Large diameter welded pipes (in particular, 280 x 3.0 mm) are quoted at about €970/mt ex-works.
Export quotations of Italian 2"-6" welded pipes as per EN 10219 are at about €480-540/mt FOB (transportation by sea) or €450-510/mt ex-works (transportation overland). In particular, offer prices for Spain are in ranges of €510-570/mt C&F or €480-540/mt CPT.
Import offers of welded pipes for the Italian market are also moving in contrasting directions. Thus, Turkish welded pipes are offered at prices which are €15-20/mt lower than one month ago. Indian suppliers have increased their offer prices by €30-35/mt, while Romanian and Bulgarian suppliers are offering welded pipes at unchanged prices.
Offers from most Turkish suppliers of industrial welded pipes with 2-4 mm wall thickness made of HR coils are standing at an average of €450-490/mt C&F to Italy and €460-500/mt C&F to Spain. The prices of Turkish welded pipes with 1.5 mm wall thickness made of CR coils are at about €520-530/mt C&F to the Italian market and at €525-535/t C&F to the Spanish market. Offers of Turkish 10"-12" welded pipes of L290 steel grade made to EN 10208 from Borusan Mannesmann to Italy are on average at €650/mt DDU. Turkish cold-formed GTC (galvanized threaded and coupling) steel pipes of 1"-4" size S195T grade as per EN 10255 are offered to the Italian market at around €740/mt C&F.
Quotations of Indian black welded pipes of 1"-6" size as per BS 1387 or DIN 2440/2444 or EN 10255 to the Italian market are at the level of €550-585/mt C&F. Offer prices of Romanian welded pipes (ArcelorMittal) up to 10" of L235 steel grade as per EN 10208 are at about €550-570/mt including delivery inside Italy for November production material. Offers of Bulgarian welded pipes to the Spanish market are standing at an average of €550/mt CPT.