During the week ending August 13, average Chinese steel pipe export offer prices have remained stable. At present, export offers for welded pipe given by Chinese suppliers are in the range of $480-490/mt FOB, remaining unchanged on average compared to August 6, while export offers for API 5L seamless pipe given by Chinese suppliers are at $500-510/mt FOB, for November shipment, moving sideways on average compared to July 30.
| Product name | Quality | Spec. | Price ($/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 | 675 | - |
| Welded pipes | Gr.B | 2’’-6’’ Std | 485 | - |
During the given week, steel pipe prices in the Chinese domestic market have moved sideways. Some construction projects in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Province region are expected to be suspended in the near future due to the approach of the military parade on September 3 to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, which will slacken the demand for steel pipe and weaken its prices. Meanwhile, steel pipe producers have increased their outputs, which may result in increasing inventories and exert a negative impact on prices. Coke prices have seen further rises, bolstering steel pipe prices from the cost side. It is expected that steel pipe prices in the Chinese domestic market will fluctuate within a limited range in the coming week.
As of August 13, HRC futures at Shanghai Futures Exchange are standing at RMB 3,451/mt ($484/mt), remaining unchanged since August 6, while decreasing by 0.66 percent compared to the previous trading day, August 12.
$1 = RMB 7.135