Buying sentiment has remained low in the Turkish welded pipe market. Meanwhile, domestic offers of Turkish pipes, on the whole, have remained within the previous price range, with only the lower end moving down by $10/mt during the past two weeks. However, most local customers have postponed their purchases so far because of poor demand in the domestic market amid seasonal factors, preferring to maintain a wait-and-see stance. Export quotations of Turkish welded pipes have decreased by $10-20/mt over the period under review due to insufficient demand from overseas buyers. Market participants forecast that both local and foreign consumers will show more demand in spring, when many construction projects will be resumed. Turkish welded pipe producers may raise their prices in March due to rising quotations of flat steel material from local and foreign suppliers.
Most offers of Turkish ERW pipes and hollow sections with 2-4 mm wall thickness made from HRC of S235JR grade as per EN 10219 are being given to the domestic market at about $710-750/mt ex-works, while ERW pipes of 1.5 mm wall thickness made from cold rolled coil (CRC) are in the range of $790-830/mt ex-works. Water and gas ERW pipes of 2.0-4.5 mm wall thickness made to EN 10255/DIN 2440 from S235 grade HR products are being offered in the domestic market at $720-770/mt ex-works.
Turkish producers are offering ERW pipes and hollow sections made from HRC of steel grade S235 JRH as per EN 10219 to foreign customers at around $700-740/mt FOB. Water and gas ERW pipes of 2.0-4.5 mm wall thickness made to EN 10255 from S235 grade HR products are being offered for export at about $710-760/mt FOB.