Price increases in the Turkish hollow section market have accelerated again this week, with pipe quotations moving higher in response to the continued rise in HRC prices. The market remains largely cost-driven, as strong scrap prices and elevated input costs continue to support higher levels even though demand has yet to fully align with the recent increases. Domestic activity has shown some improvement, though volumes remain limited, whereas export sales continue to lag behind without a clear recovery. Despite this imbalance, pipe producers have maintained their upward pricing adjustments, reflecting the dominant influence of upstream costs. With the holiday period starting later this week, overall market activity has slowed further and participants expect that the post-holiday period will be decisive in determining whether current price levels can be sustained under prevailing demand conditions.
Domestic hollow section prices have increased week on week, with offers now reported at $660-680/mt ex-works, up from $650-660/mt ex-works previously. However, pricing strategies vary across the market, as medium-sized traders tend to remain at the lower end of the workable range due to slow demand, while larger mills continue to target the upper levels for the time being.
In the export segment, prices have also moved upward, with most offers currently heard at $660-670/mt FOB, compared to $640-650/mt FOB a week earlier.