Buyer activity in the Bulgarian welded pipe market is still rather weak. Domestic prices of Bulgarian ERW pipes and hollow sections of 2-5 mm wall thickness made from S235JR grade HRC have remained at previous levels, at about €430-450/mt ex-works, exclusive of 20 percent VAT and on actual weight basis.
At the same time, most Bulgarian pipe producers inform SteelOrbis that they are booked full with orders up to October, but that their orders are coming mainly from foreign customers, in particular from Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Lithuania. The export price levels of Bulgarian welded pipes are steady, not showing any change over the past two weeks.
Current export offers of Bulgarian ERW pipes and hollow sections of 1.8-6 mm wall thickness made from S235JR grade HRC are at about €410-460/mt ex-works on a theoretical weight basis. In particular, offers of Bulgarian ERW pipes to Germany and Poland are being given at €450-470/mt CPT, while they are being given to Spain at €540-550/mt CPT, to Sweden at €520-560/mt CPT, and to Romania at €425-475/mt CPT.
Export offers of ERW pipes of 1.5 mm wall thickness made from HRC are being given at around €560/mt ex-works.
Export quotations of Bulgarian ERW pipes of 1.2-1.4 mm wall thickness made from DC 01 grade CRC are at €560/mt ex-works. Galvanized ERW pipes from Bulgaria made to DIN 2440/2444 are priced in the foreign markets at about €730/mt ex-works.
In the coming two weeks prices may continue to follow a stable trend due to the usual summer lull. However, price decreases appear unlikely to happen since the impact of seasonal factors will be restricted to the August-first half of September period.