(by Rye Druzin, www.pipe-logix.com) US domestic line pipe prices declined in July, dragging the index down as import pricing was relatively flat. The Argus line pipe index fell by 0.8% in July from the prior month to $2,552/short ton (st), the second consecutive month of declines. The Argus domestic line pipe index dropped by 1.6% to $2,836/st, driven by declines in most pipe products. The Argus import line pipe index rose by 0.1% to $2, 267/ st, with pricing more mixed, as increases were attributed to tariff impacts. The Argus distributors sentiment slipped by two points to a nearly neutral reading of 49. Two-thirds of distributors expect prices to rise or be steady in the near-term, with 42% expecting prices to increase. Domestic line pipe shipments rose to 24,544st in June, up by more than 5,000st from May. The US benchmark oil price was up by more than $4/ bl from a month earlier to $69.26/bl on 31 July. Natural gas was $2.92/,mnBtu, down from $3.27/mnBtu a month earlier. The Argus US HRC index declined by $10.50/st during the month to $872/st on 29 July. The US rig count fell to 542 for the week ending 25 July, up by three from the beginning of the month.