During the week ending April 7, average Chinese steel pipe export offer prices have moved up. At present, export offers for welded pipe given by Chinese suppliers are in the range of $760-790/mt FOB, up $25/mt week on week, while export offers for API 5L seamless pipe given by Chinese suppliers are at $840-930/mt FOB, June shipment, moving up $20/mt compared to March 31.
Product name |
Quality |
Spec. |
Price ($/mt) FOB |
Weekly change ($/mt) |
API 5L seamless pipe |
Gr.B |
2’’-6’’ Std |
885 |
+20 |
Seamless pipe, casing (hot rolled forming) |
J55 |
3’’-8’’ Std |
945 |
+25 |
Seamless pipe, tubing (cold drawn forming) |
ST37 |
< 3’’ Std |
1,220 |
+40 |
Welded pipes |
Gr.B |
2’’-6’’ Std |
775 |
+25 |
During the given week, demand for steel pipes has improved, exerting a positive impact on local prices and also bolstering ex-China offer prices. Recent billet imports have eased the supply tightness in the billet market, while the environmental protection measures will still reduce supply of billet and provide solid support for steel pipe prices. At the same time, increasing ferrous metal futures prices have also positively affected the steel pipe market.
Rebar futures prices at Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) stand at RMB 5,117/mt ($784.5/mt) on April 7, up RMB 182/mt ($28/mt) or 3.7 percent from March 31.
$1 = RMB 6.5228