Slow buying activity in the Iranian seamless pipe market has caused local and foreign suppliers to cut their offers. Over the past month, local stockists in Iran have cut their prices by $65-320/mt. Import quotations of Chinese seamless pipes have decreased by $10-50/mt. Ukrainian seamless pipes have moved down by $20/mt during the past month, while quotations of Russian material have decreased by $50/mt over the same period. Market insiders believe seamless pipe offers in the country may remain soft in the coming period owing to the unstable economic situation, financial problems and seasonal factors.
Local stockists' prices for domestic production seamless pipes of ¾"-3" size are at about $1,430-2,010/mt ex-warehouse, compared with $1,495-2,330/mt ex-warehouse one month ago.
Import offers of Chinese seamless pipes, 2"-6" grade B made to ASTM A106/API 5L, are being given to the local Iranian market at $950-1,040/mt CFR Bandar Abbas.
Quotations of Ukrainian seamless pipes of 2"-12" size grade B as per ASTM A106 are at about $1,210-1,230/mt CFR Bandar Abbas for November-December production.
Russian pipes of 2"-8" grade B as per ASTM A106 are being offered to northern Iranian ports at $1,150-1,200/mt CFR Anzali.
Iranian stockists' domestic prices for locally produced seamless pipes:
($/mt, ex-warehouse)
Diameter Price Change*
¾" 1,810 -190
½" 1,810 -105
1" 2,010 -320
2 ½" 1,470 -95
3" 1,430 -65
*over the past four weeks