Prices for Grade A ERW BPE standard pipe have softened by $1.00 cwt on the bottom end in the past month; prices for Grade A are now trending at $55-$60 cwt. ($1,213-$1,323/mt or $1,100-$1,200/nt), ex-mill, while Grade B pricing is trending $2.50 cwt. ($55/mt or $50/nt) above the Grade A range.
Buyers say that while demand remains good, they’re still keeping close watch on US HRC prices, due to concern that pending HRC import arrivals will place downward pressure on US HRC prices, which could, in turn, place downward pricing pressure on the standard pipe market.
Import arrivals, however, have declined markedly in the past 12 months. The most recent license data from the US Department of Commerce indicates that 67,992 mt of standard pipe was licensed to arrive at US ports during the month of July. In contrast, the US imported 117,006 mt (census data) during July 2017.