Imports of seamless pipes to Turkey have slowed down over the past month due to the religious holiday and seasonal effects. Nevertheless, comparing with the same period of last year, the Turkish seamless pipe market indicates a recovery from the global financial crisis. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), in September this year Turkey imported 13,400 metric tons of seamless pipes, indicating a decrease of 33 percent from the August level but up 31 percent year on year. Imports of seamless pipes to Turkey for the first nine months of 2010 reached 157,210 metric tons, up 64 percent on the corresponding period of last year.
Over the past month quotations of Chinese seamless pipes have increased by a maximum of $30/mt amid rising production costs in China. Offers of Russian seamless pipes from TMK have increased by $15-40/mt over the period under review due to the stronger domestic market. At the same time, import quotations of Ukrainian seamless pipes have gone down by $30-55/mt during the past month in order to attract more buyers. Quotations for seamless pipes from Czech suppliers have decreased by $20/mt over the period under review due to currency fluctuations, while offers of Romanian seamless pipes have remained unchanged. The Turkish seamless pipe market does not expect any surge in demand in the coming month and prices will likely stay at the present level before starting to pick up through 2011.
Current quotations for Chinese seamless pipes 2"-6" grade B made to ASTM A106 are in the range of $970-1,090/mt C&F Turkey's Marmara Sea ports.
December production pipes from Ukrainian producer Interpipe with diameter of 48.3-323 mm made of steel grade 10, 20 according to GOST 8731/8732 or pipes of steel grade B as per ASTM A106 are being offered to the Turkish market at about $1,000-1,030/mt C&F.
Seamless pipes of Volzhsky Pipe (TMK, Russia) with 57-219 mm diameter made from steel grade 10, 20 to GOST 8731/8732 are at $920-940/mt C&F, while prices for 2"-8" pipes made from grade B to ASTM A106 are at $950-970/mt C&F.
Seamless pipes with diameter 168-219 mm of 10, 20 steel grade made to GOST 8731/8732 from Tagmet are quoted in the range of $960-980/mt C&F.
Quotations of seamless pipes from Uraltrubostal (Russia) with 33.7-219.1 mm diameter made to GOST 8731/8732 are being given to the Turkish market at about $960-990/mt C&F.
Import offers of seamless pipes from Romania (ArcelorMittal) 3"-6" made to ASTM A106 are being given to the local market of Turkey at $1,220-1,230/mt CPT.
Seamless pipes from the Czech Republic (ArcelorMittal Ostrava) 2"-10" B made to ASTM A106/API 5L are being given to the Turkish market at around $1,350-1,360/mt C&F.