Over the past two weeks, demand in the local European welded pipe market has remained weak, while prices have moved down. Market sources state that demand in the local European welded pipe market is negatively influenced by the economic slowdown in the region, while the possibility of a new temporary measure in the short term within the scope of the 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 initiated on September 28, 2018 is also slowing down the demand in the local European welded pipe market. If the EU decides to impose a temporary duty against the said imports from the countries in question, with an earliest possible announcement date at the end of April, sentiment in the European welded pipe market is expected to recover with prices gaining stability.
A Bulgarian steel producer’s offers for ERW pipes as per EN 10219 for its domestic market have decreased by €5/mt over the past two weeks to €560-570/mt ($633-644/mt) ex-works. The Bulgarian welded pipe producer’s European market quotations to Germany are now at €610-640/meter ($689-723/meter) CPT, to Hungary are at €590-600/meter ($667-678/meter) CPT, to Austria are at €600-610/meter ($678-689/meter) CPT, and to Belgium and the Netherlands are at €630-645/meter ($712-729/meter) CPT, while its offers to the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia are standing at €600-620/mt ($678-701/mt) CPT, and its offers to Slovenia are at €600-610/mt ($678-689/mt) CPT, all indicating a €5/mt fall in the given period.
€1 = $1.13