(by Kurt Minnich, www.pipe-logix.com) Line pipe prices jumped 8.3% in March with domestic prices up 7.5% and import prices up 9.5%. Every item tracked in the Pipe Logix Index increased in March; import ERW prices averaged 12.6% higher. Line pipe prices have increased 33% from a year ago with accelerating increases over the past two months blamed on 232 tariffs. Distributor’s sentiment eased slightly in March but continues to indicate a strongly expanding US market. The NASPD Index was 74 in March, down from 81 in the previous month. Most components of the NASPD Index held steady except the price outlook, which is down from a perfectly expanding score of 100 in February to a score of 77 in March, still a strongly expanding market indicator. Reported import volumes, which averaged nearly 200,000 tons/month over the prior 12 months declined in February to an estimated 141,000 tons. The rig count registered a small gain in March and thus the total shipment tonnage per rig dipped below 200 tons/rig, a level witnessed only a few times since 2014.
Pipe Logix Line Pipe Report – MARCH 2018
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