Prices in the local European welded pipe market have remained stable over the past week. As welded pipe purchases from local producers continue, it is observed that European producers do not plan to increase their domestic welded pipe prices just yet. As a result, a Bulgarian steel producer’s offers to Europe for ERW pipes as per EN 10219 are still at €610-650/meter ($702-748/meter) CPT. The Bulgarian welded pipe producer’s quotations to Hungary and Poland are at €620-630/meter ($713-725/meter) CPT, with other offers to the Czech Republic and Austria being at €630-640/meter ($725-736/meter) CPT, while its offers to Germany and Romania are at €640-650/meter ($736-748/meter) CPT and €610-620/meter ($702-713/meter) CPT respectively.
After the announcement of the European Commission that it has initiated an antidumping (AD) duty investigation against imports of welded tubes, pipes and hollow profiles of square or rectangular cross-section, of iron other than cast iron or steel other than stainless, from Macedonia, Russia and Turkey, imports in the European region have, as foreseen, gained some momentum as a precaution ahead of a possible affirmative dumping determination. According to the European Commission’s import quota rates, 33 percent and 38 percent of the quotas for import welded pipe and hollow profiles have been filled, respectively.