China dominates US standard pipe imports
The US has been a popular destination for Chinese standard pipe exports during the past two years. In 2004, more and more Chinese pipe producers began exporting to the US, leading import quantities from China to triple. The price gap between Chinese pipe and those from other importers also widened significantly in the second half of 2004, in some cases by more than $100/mt. Lately, several Chinese pipe producers have attempted to pass along the rising cost of raw materials in the home market by increasing their export pricing. Many of those producers, however, are beginning to rethink this strategy due to the competitive pricing of rival Chinese mills. Current offers for 1/2" to 6" (12mm-150mm) diameter black plain end standard pipe range from $670 to $700/mt CFR FO US Gulf and West Coast. The premium for galvanized pipe is approximately $110-$120/mt, while the one for threaded and coupled pipe (T&C) is $30-$40/mt. Most other import offers are at least $40 to $50 more expensive. Turkish pipe mills report that larger sizes over 6" and API grades, products where Chinese competition is scarce, comprise the bulk of their US sales. Their current standard pipe prices are about $730 CFR for black plain end standard A53 Grade A pipe. Below are the latest statistics for the major importers listed in terms of 1,000 units of quantity:Country 2003 2004 2004 YTD 2005 YTD %ChangeYTD04-05 China 104,434 310,376 29,948 59,288 98.0% Canada 321,373 305,240 49,889 56,921 14.1% Turkey 59,691 77,645 19,502 8,878 -54.5% India 58,450 74,554 8,925 9,042 1.3% Thailand 62,766 62,312 6,966 8,861 27.2% Mexico 70,573 47,822 10,173 7,221 -29.0% Taiwan 17,307 47,721 5,231 4,950 -5.4% Korea 63,445 43,695 6,062 9,772 61.2%