Over the past week, prices in the local European welded pipe market have continued to decline, softening by €10/mt, as buyers have continued to exert pressure on prices. Since ex-Turkey and ex-Macedonia welded pipe offers to Europe are €15-30/mt lower than European producers’ prices, buyers in Europe have been exerting additional pressure on domestic prices. However, the buyers are cautious about making new bookings due to their expectation that prices will decrease further in the coming period. Subsequently, it is expected that domestic welded pipe prices in Europe will stabilize as welded pipe and hollow section imports into the region are foreseen to shrink as of late January amid the ongoing antidumping investigation against imported steel.
A Bulgarian steel producer’s offers for ERW pipes as per EN 10219 have decreased by €10/mt week on week to €560-570/mt($638-650/mt) ex-works. The Bulgarian welded pipe producer’s quotations to Germany are at €590-600/meter ($673-684/meter) CPT, to Hungary are at €565-570/meter ($644-650/meter) CPT, to Australia are at €575-580/meter ($656-661/meter) CPT, and to Belgium and the Netherlands are at €605-610/meter ($690-695/meter) CPT, while its offers to the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia are standing at €600-610/mt ($684-695/mt) CPT, and its offers to Slovenia are at €605-610/mt ($690-695/mt) CPT.
€1 = $1.14