Spot market prices for US domestic HSS tubing are still holding steady, week-over-week, although sources still believe that prices “still need to come down.” The rationale behind this, he said, is the still-too-large pricing spread between tubing and hot rolled coil.
As such, today’s prices continue to hold at approximately $73.50 cwt. ($1,620/mt or $1,470/nt), FOB mill, although deals up to $5.00 cwt. ($110/mt or $100/nt) are still readily available within the marketplace. Sources have also said that US import HSS offers from Mexico are coming in at “about $10 cwt. ($220/mt or $200/nt) below US offers, FOB Texas.
“Demand is questionable because a lot of the fabricators believe that [HSS] prices are going to come down,” a source said. “Of the customers that I talk to, they’re not buying anything unless they know they’re going to need it quick.”