Demand in the UAE welded pipe market is still weak amid slow construction activity. Emirati producers have cut their welded pipe offers by $10-15/mt over the past month due to cheaper flat steel products and weak demand from consuming industries. Import quotations of Chinese material have moved down by $10-20/mt over the same period. Market insiders believe the current market situation will hardly improve much in the coming short-term period.
UAE domestic prices for locally produced ½"-4" welded pipes with 2-4 mm wall thickness of grade B made to ASTM A53 or BS 1387 are at about $700-730/mt ex-works. Prices are given on theoretical weight basis.
Domestic quotations of ½"-4" welded pipes with 1.5-1.8 mm wall thickness of grade B made to ASTM or BS 1387 are at about $720-760/mt ex-works. Current domestic prices of 1"-4" galvanized ERW pipes with 2-4 mm wall thickness are in the range of $895-910/mt ex-works.
Offers of Chinese ERW pipes up to 10" grade B as per ASTM are being given to the UAE market at about $690-730/mt CFR, compared to $700-750/mt one month ago.
Indian suppliers are offering ERW pipes, 1"-6" as per BS 1387 (light series), to the UAE at $710-740/mt CFR on actual weight basis, unchanged compared to one month ago level.