The most commonly reported spot market price transaction range for US domestic Grade A ERW BPE standard pipe may be stable, at $48-$50 cwt. ($1058-$1102/mt or $960-$1000/nt), ex- mill, but the recent upticks in US HRC pricing have many speculating that standard pipe prices will increase as well, especially since the bulk of current spot market transactions are taking place at the top of the above stated range.
Another key factor that’s being closely watched is the upcoming conclusion of the Section 232 investigation, with results expected to be announced sometime this month. Findings for the investigation were initially supposed to be announced in June 2017; the delay by the Commerce Department has led to a surge in US steel imports. Import statistics indicate that as of late December 2017, standard pipe imports had risen by 41 percent, year-over-year.