Expectations that prices would move downwards in the local European welded pipe market seem to have ended for now. The reasons behind the positive sentiment among market players regarding the future price trend are buyers’ increasing inventories and signs that they will accelerate their bookings again. However, there are still problems in terms of deliveries and occasional interruptions of loadings are still being observed due to the low water levels of rivers.
Meanwhile, a Bulgarian steel producer’s offers to Europe for ERW pipes as per EN 10219 are still at €590-595/meter ($660-666/meter) CPT. The Bulgarian welded pipe producer’s quotations to Germany are at €625-630/meter ($700-706/meter) CPT, to Hungary are at €605-610/meter ($678-683/meter) CPT, to Austria are at €615-620/meter ($689-694/meter) CPT, to Romania are at €595-600/meter ($666-672/meter) CPT, and to Belgium and the Netherlands are at €645-655/meter ($722-734/meter) CPT, while its offers to the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia are standing at €630-640/mt($706-717/mt) CPT and its offers to Slovenia are at €635-645/mt ($711-722/mt) CPT.
According to the European Commission’s (EC) import quota rates, 53.8 percent and 68.7 percent of the quotas for import welded pipe and hollow profiles have been filled, respectively. The quotas are expected to be exhausted by the time the EC announces its final decision on import duties.
€1 = $1.12