Most Chinese producers of welded pipes have kept their prices unchanged over the past two weeks seeing soft domestic demand and higher substrate costs. Export prices of Chinese welded pipes have either decreased by a maximum of $10/mt or remained unchanged over the past fortnight due to poor foreign demand. Market players believe that welded pipe suppliers in China may try to increase their prices to compensate for increased feedstock and raw material costs. Any uptrend is unlikely to continue for long amid seasonally weaker consumer activity in December.
Current offers of locally produced 2"-6" welded pipes of grade B as per ASTM A53 are being given to the Chinese domestic market at an average of RMB 4,100-4,250/mt ($673-698/mt) ex-works. These local market welded pipe prices include 17 percent VAT. Traders in Shanghai are offering Q215-Q235 welded pipes made to GB/T3091 at around RMB 3,700-3,750/mt ($607-616/mt) ex-warehouse, while stockists in the cities of Tianjin and Beijing are offering similar pipes at RMB 3,550-3,600/mt ($583-591/mt) ex-warehouse.
Current export prices of welded pipes from large Chinese mills, 2"-10" grade B according to ASTM A53, are at around $620-650/mt FOB on actual weight basis.
$1 = RMB 6.09