Business activity is recovering in the Italian welded pipe market after the long summer lull. Italian welded pipe suppliers have managed to raise their domestic and export prices by around €20-30/mt ($27-40/mt) over the past month after an increase in the raw material segment. In the import segment, quotations of Turkish material have mostly remained unchanged, while offers of Bulgarian pipes for Italy have increased by around €20/mt ($27/mt) over the period under review. Although regional demand for welded pipes has improved somewhat on the back of better conditions in consuming industries, it has not recovered in full yet. Meanwhile, welded pipe suppliers may achieve higher prices in the coming period, taking into account increased feedstock prices and anticipated stronger demand as construction activity is gradually gathering pace.
Current local prices for Italian welded pipes of 2"-6" size with wall thickness of 2.0-4.0 mm as per EN 10219 made from base steel grade S235JR HR coils are at about €580-600/mt ($774-800/mt) ex-works from Arvedi Tubi Acciaio, while offers from other producers are being given to local customers at €550-570/mt ($734-760/mt) ex-works. Prices are shown on actual weight basis and excluding 21 percent VAT. Domestic prices for standard-size precision welded tubes, E235 grade as per EN 10305-3 (not normalized), are at about €670-690/mt ($894-920/mt) ex-works.
Export quotations of Italian 2"-6" welded pipes as per EN 10219 are at about €580-630/mt ($774-840/mt) FOB (transportation by sea) or €550-600/mt ($734-800/mt) ex-works (transportation overland). In particular, offer prices for Spain are in the range of €580-630/mt ($774-840/mt) CPT.
Offers from Turkish suppliers of industrial welded pipes with 2-4 mm wall thickness made from HR coils are being given at an average of €520-540/mt ($694-720/mt) CFR to Italy and at €540-560/mt ($720-747/mt) CFR to Spain.
Offers of Bulgarian welded pipes to the Spanish market are standing at an average of €610-630/mt ($814-840/mt) CPT on theoretical weight basis.
€1 = $1.334