The most commonly heard spot price transaction range for
US domestic Grade A ERW BPE standard pipe continue to trend in the approximate range of $46.50-$47.50 ($1025-$1047/mt or $930-$950/nt), ex-Midwest mill, but sources close to SteelOrbis feel that spot market prices could soon revise upward.
“It looks like mills’ input costs are about to go up again,” one source notes. This week, three
US-based flat rolled steel mills have announced they will be raising prices; SteelOrbis has further reported that
US domestic scrap prices are expected to firm during the March buy-cycle.
“If hot rolled [coil] goes up, and scrap goes up, it’s a safe bet to say that pipe prices will follow,” another source said.
In terms of import tonnages, those are trending nearly lateral, year-over-year. The most recent data from the
US Department of Commerce shows that for the month of January, the
US imported 81,864 mt of standard pipe (license data) from global sources; the
US imported 80,499 mt of standard pipe (census data) of standard pipe from global sources in January 2016.