Pricing for US domestic hollow structural sections tubing have increased once again; the uptrend comes after mills’ announced $1.50 cwt ($33/mt or $30/nt) price increase earlier this month. While some questioned whether tube mills would succeed in pushing prices higher, due perceived softness in US HRC prices, the increase has, in fact, been partially pushed through.
Today, spot market pricing for US domestic hollow structural sections (HSS) tubing has increased by $2.00 cwt. ($44/mt or $40/nt) on the upper end as compared to SteelOrbis’ report published on July 10 to the range of $58-$61 cwt. ($1,279-$1,345/mt or $1,160-$1,220/nt), ex-mill.
Order activity and inquires remain robust, and while some customers report paying toward the top of the mentioned price range, deals at the lower end are still available for volume buyers.
Sources also report concern over current price points, as many believe “there is going to be a literal flood of imported HRC in the upcoming months, which will surely place downward pricing pressure on the entire market. No one is running out to stock anything right now and we’re all just buying what we need when we needed in order to protect ourselves.”