Even though trade has improved since the end of summer, current demand for pipes in Turkey is still not at satisfactory levels. However, due to the stability of the hot rolled coil (HRC) and scrap segments, pipe makers have had no choice but to follow a stable trend, as they did last week. Meanwhile, in order to boost sales, most pipe suppliers have offered discounts to serious purchasers.
As a result, despite Turkey's present economic difficulties and limited local demand, domestic hollow section pricing has remained unchanged. According to sources, medium and smaller-sized producers are still offering at around $750-800/mt ex-works to the local market, while larger mills are offering at roughly $700-730/mt ex-works.
On the other hand, despite the dismal export trading activity for pipes, which is significantly slower compared to the domestic market, hollow section export prices are also unchanged. Accordingly, over the past week, hollow prices for export have remained stable at roughly $750-800/mt FOB.