Prices for
US domestic A-53 electric resistance welded (ERW) black plain end (BPE) Grade A standard pipe have not wavered in the past two weeks, as spot prices continue hold in the approximate range of $45.00-$46.00 cwt. ($992-$1,014/mt or $900-$920/nt) ex-Midwest mill. Domestic producers had their fingers crossed that last month’s attempted price increase would gain some steam but a recent slip in prices for
US domestic hot rolled coil (HRC) seemed to hinder that effort, especially in that demand for standard pipe is relatively flat. And despite last week’s attempt by coil producers to push prices up by $2.50 cwt. ($55/mt or $50/nt), the increase has not been accepted. As such,
US domestic BPE Grade A standard pipe prices are forecast at neutral until demand increases or until coil prices firm and force the market in an upward direction. For now, industry insiders continue to report that order activity is steady but less than exciting, and that buyers are only placing orders on an as-needed basis in order to fill inventory gaps.
Meanwhile, offer prices for import A-53 electric resistance welded (ERW) black plain end (BPE) Grade A standard pipe to the
US from Vietnam and
Korea are also unchanged in the past two weeks, with the most commonly reported transaction range for both countries still in the approximate range of $39.50-$40.50 cwt. ($871-$893/mt or $790-$810/nt) DDP loaded truck in
US Gulf Coast ports. Traders continue to report that interest in offshore bookings remains weak due to long lead times and slim margins, a trend that is likely to continue until domestic prices begin to firm.