Pipe, tube market braces for uncertain 2013

Nov 29, 2012 | 01:48 PM | Michael Cowden

Tags  Pipe, tube, business outlook, Michael Cowden

CHICAGO — Pipe and tube market players don’t expect much year-end holiday cheer, with most buyers still sidelined by an uncertain business outlook, low prices and a slowdown in drilling.

While some sources see now as a good time to buy based on announced price increases, others say previous hikes haven’t held, at least not in full.

"If you add up all the price announcements since last year, prices should be up about 50 percent," one distributor source said. "At least on our side of the fence—and I’m not the best buyer in the world—they haven’t really stuck."....





Latest Pricing Trends

Poll

Do you think steel mills will succeed in their efforts to stop selling at a discount to the CRU index?

Yes
No
It’s too early to tell


View previous results

AMM Events


Quote

This whole thing is becoming a game of smoke.

Midwest service center