During the week ending March 19, average Chinese steel pipe export offer prices have fluctuated within a limited range. At present, export offers for welded pipe given by Chinese suppliers are in the range of $470-480/mt FOB, decreasing by $10/mt compared to March 12, while export offers for API 5L seamless pipe given by Chinese suppliers are at $500-510/mt FOB, for June shipment, moving sideways compared to March 12.
| Product name | Quality | Spec. | Price ($/mt) FOB | Weekly change ($/mt) |
| API 5L seamless pipe | Gr.B | 2’’-6’’ Std | 505 | - |
| Seamless pipe, casing (hot rolled forming) | J55 | 3’’-8’’ Std | 505 | - |
| Seamless pipe, tubing (cold drawn forming) | ST37 | < 3’’ Std | 670 | - |
| Welded pipes | Gr.B | 2’’-6’’ Std | 475 | -10 |
During the given week, steel pipe prices in the Chinese domestic market have seen slight changes amid the prevailing cautious sentiments among market players. The release of demand has not been as good as market participants had expected, exerting a negative impact on the steel pipe market. Some steel pipe producers have chosen to cut outputs, bolstering prices to a certain degree. However, market players think the approaching traditional peak season will positively affect the steel pipe market. It is thought that steel pipe prices in the Chinese domestic market may edge up in the coming week.
As of March 19, HRC futures at the Shanghai Futures Exchange are standing at RMB 3,348/mt ($467/mt), decreasing by RMB 15/mt ($2.1/mt) or 0.45 percent since March 12, while down 0.74 percent compared to the previous trading day, March 18.
$1 = RMB 7.1697
