As of the beginning of the current year, demand in the local Turkish welded pipe market has not recorded any revival worthy of note, while domestic welded pipe prices in Turkey have moved down over the past two weeks. Turkish producers’ offer range for ERW pipes and hollow sections with 2-4 mm wall thickness made from hot rolled coil (HRC) of S235 grade as per EN 10219 to their domestic market has moved down to $530-570/mt ex-works. Market sources state that the prices in question are still showing a falling tendency. Although domestic welded pipe quotations have fallen by $32.5/mt on average over the past two weeks, demand has not recovered as buyers are unwilling to conclude new purchases, market sources report.
Considering domestic hot rolled coil (HRC) prices in Turkey, current domestic welded pipe prices are at very low levels. The fact that some sellers are concluding sales almost at a lost has attracted attention. Amid the market sluggishness caused by concerns about Turkey’s economy and by seasonal factors, buyers in the local Turkish welded pipe market prefer to hold on to their cash. Particularly, traders are observed to be avoiding sales on credit as they do not want to expose themselves to risks of possible payment problems, despite their high inventory levels. Market sources expect the sluggish demand in the local Turkish welded pipe market to continue for some time.