Pricing within the US domestic line pipe market is still trending strong, with API X-52 being offered on the spot market at $65-$67 cwt. ($1433-$1477/mt or $1300-$1340/nt), ex-mill; in contrast prices during the same reporting period in 2017 were trending at $54-$55 cwt. ($1191-$1213/mt or $1080-$1100/nt).
Import prices for this same product from Korea and Taiwan are unchanged week-over-week, at $66-$68 cwt. ($1455-$1499/mt or $1320-$1360/nt), DDP loaded truck in US Gulf coast ports.
Sources close to SteelOrbis say that they’re still trying to sort out this week’s news relating to import quotas from Mexico.
“We’re not sure how this is going to play out or how much of an impact it will have,” a source said. “It all depends on how much tonnage they allow. If Korean quotas are an indication the implementation will be an absolute mess and it will yank everyone around. But then again, our president is prone to making emotional policy decisions so all of this could change again by the time we get back to work next week."