Export demand for CIS standard seamless pipes remains sluggish amid lukewarm demand from end-users. Export prices for Ukrainian seamless pipes have mostly remained stable, while Russian producer ChTPZ Group has cut its export offers by around $20-50/mt over the past month due to slack demand.
Market players agree that overseas demand for Russian and Ukrainian standard seamless pipes will remain poor in January-February, and CIS producers will likely keep their export offers at the current levels. Meanwhile, buying activity may pick up slightly by the end of first quarter next year in the run-up to a seasonal market revival, giving CIS exporters a reason to raise their seamless pipe quotations.
Export prices from Ukrainian mill Interpipe for January-February production hot-formed seamless pipes of 42-219 mm diameter, of 10, 20 steel grades, as per GOST 8731/8732, currently vary in the range of $1,000-1,050/mt FOB, while seamless pipes made to ASTM A106 are quoted at around $1,020-1,100/mt FOB.
Export offers of January production seamless pipes of 57-168 mm diameter, of 10, 20 steel grades according to GOST 8731/8732 from Ukraine's Dnepropetrovsk Tube Works are at $990-1,020/mt FOB.
ChTPZ Group's export quotations for January-February production hot-formed pipes with diameter of 48.3-114.3 mm made to GOST 8731/8732 from 10, 20 steel grades or as per ASTM A106 are at $890-940/mt FOB, while pipes of 140-219.1 mm diameter are also in the range of $890-940/mt FOB, but for July 2013 output.
Seamless pipes with 219-273 mm diameter as per GOST from Tagmet (TMK Group) are quoted in the range of $1,000-1,020/mt FOB.
Seamless pipes with 89-219 mm diameter of steel grade 10, 20 as per GOST from Volzhsky pipe plant (TMK Group) are quoted in the range of $960-980/mt FOB for January-February production.