Bulgarian welded pipe producers have decided to abandon thoughts of new increases, instead keeping their domestic prices stable over the past two weeks as there are no signs of a demand recovery in the local market. At the same time, demand from customers in Europe remains modest but stable. However, Bulgarian pipe suppliers are facing tight competition and have been unable to increase their export quotations due to lower offers from Turkish and other suppliers. Bulgarian pipe makers hope to keep their quotations stable in the coming short-term period. However, weak demand in the domestic market and lower offers from other suppliers in the export markets may force Bulgarian welded pipe suppliers to cut their prices.
Current offers of locally produced welded pipes and hollow sections of 2-5 mm wall thickness made from S235JR grade hot rolled coil (HRC) according to EN 10219 are being given to the Bulgarian domestic market at around €585-590/mt ($766-773/mt) ex-works, exclusive of 20 percent VAT and on theoretical weight basis.
Export quotations of Bulgarian ERW pipes and hollow sections of 2-5 mm wall thickness made from S235JR grade HRC as per EN 10219 are at the level of €570-580/mt ($747-760/mt) ex-works on theoretical weight basis for May production. Offers of similar Bulgarian pipes with wall thickness of 1.5 mm made from HRC as per EN 10219 are at around €600-610/mt ($786-799/mt) ex-works for May rolling. Export quotations of Bulgarian water and gas pipes according to EN 10255 are at €590-600/mt ($773-786/mt) ex-works.
€1 = $ 1.31