Turkey's seamless pipe market has started to show signs of recovery after the end-of-Ramadan holiday. Market insiders report that the demand level for seamless pipes in Turkey is increasing slowly. Meanwhile, over the past month quotations of Ukrainian material have increased by $10-25/mt, while offers of Russian seamless pipes have risen by $25-40/mt. On the other hand, import offers of seamless pipes from China have decreased by $20/mt during the period in question. It is expected that seamless pipe prices will remain on their rising trend as demand looks likely to rise, but will not increase at a rapid rate. According to Turkey's Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), the Turkish economy, which has already entered a recovery phase, will recuperate further in 2010, albeit gradually.
Current quotations for Chinese seamless pipes 2"-6" grade B made to ASTM A106/API 5L are in the range $750-800/mt C&F Marmara Sea ports.
October-November production pipes from Ukrainian producer Interpipe with diameter of 57-159 mm made of steel grade 10, 20 according to GOST 8731/8732 are being offered for the Turkish market at about $880-915/mt C&F. Offer prices ex-Ukraine from Duferco partner Dnepropetrovsk Tube Plant for October production 57-168 mm seamless pipes as per GOST 8731/8732 are at around $780-805/mt C&F.
Russian producers Uraltrubostal (Pervouralsky Novotrubny Works and Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant) and TMK (Taganrog Pipe Plant) are offering November production seamless hot-formed pipes with diameter up to 425 mm made to GOST 8731/8732 at about $760-805/mt C&F.