Trading activity in the local European welded pipe market has been slack for a while now due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, while prices have moved sideways as both buyers and sellers are not active in the market. As a result, a Bulgarian steel producer’s offers for ERW pipes as per EN 10219 are still at €580-585/meter ($661-667/meter) ex-works. The Bulgarian welded pipe producer’s quotations to Germany are at €615-620/meter ($701-705/meter) CPT, to Hungary are at €595-600/meter ($678-684/meter) CPT, to Australia are at €605-610/meter ($690-695/meter) CPT, to Romania are at €585-590/meter ($667-673/meter) CPT, and to Belgium and the Netherlands are at €635-645/meter ($724-735/meter) CPT, while its offers to the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia and Slovakia are standing at €620-630/mt ($707-718/mt) CPT, and its offers to Slovenia are at €625-635/mt ($713-724/mt) CPT.
According to a notification sent to the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the European Commission, the EU will impose quotas on welded pipe imports depending on country. European buyers have been decreasing their welded pipe and hollow section imports for a while in order to avoid the 25 percent duty since the preliminary quotas imposed for a 200-day period have almost been exhausted. As a result, until February 2, when the new quotas will start to be implemented, demand for welded pipe and hollow section imports in Europe is expected to be quite slack. Accordingly, demand for domestic welded pipe in the region is expected to increase and European buyers will likely meet their needs from domestic sources. Consequently, domestic welded pipe prices in Europe are not expected to record sharp declines in the short term.
€1 = $1.14