This week, the long-awaited increases in domestic hot rolled coil (HRC) prices in Turkey have finally materialized, boosting expectations of a rise in Turkish welded pipe producers’ prices. As a result, Turkish producers are expected to reflect the uptrend of domestic HRC prices in their welded pipe prices in the coming weeks. For now, prices in the local Turkish welded pipe market have remained stable week on week. While sales of Turkish welded pipes continue to be concluded in the domestic and export markets, market sources state that Turkish exporters will likely review their sales strategy following US President Trump’s signing of the order to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports from all countries - exempting Mexico and Canada for now - on Thursday, March 8.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) has decided to continue its antidumping (AD) duty and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations on imports of large diameter (LD) welded pipe from six countries, including Turkey. The DOC is scheduled to announce its preliminary CVD determinations on April 16 and its preliminary AD determinations on July 29. The alleged dumping margin for Turkey is 66.09 percent. Due to the 25 percent tariff on steel imports and due to the given dumping rate for LD welded pipe imports from Turkey, Turkish pipe producers are expected to direct their sales to alternative markets which remain unspecified for the time being.
For now, Turkish producers’ offers for ERW pipes and hollow sections with 2-4 mm wall thickness made from hot rolled coil (HRC) of S235 grade as per EN 10219 to the domestic market are still in the range of $680-700/mt ex-works.
In the same period, Turkish producers’ export prices for ERW pipes and hollow sections with 2-4 mm wall thickness made from HRC of S235 grade as per EN 10219 have remained stable at $700-730/mt FOB.