CHICAGO — Prolamsa Inc. has increased prices on all tubular products and metal building components by $40 per ton ($2 per hundredweight) effective with new orders.

Meanwhile, some buyer sources have speculated that another round of structural tubing tags could be in the works, reflecting a more recent price hike of $50 per ton ($2.50 per cwt) by domestic coil mills (amm.com, Nov. 7).

Houston-based Prolamsa, which makes hollow structural sections (HSS) and mechanical tubing, said in a letter to customers dated Thursday that orders already on its books would be held at current prices. Unconfirmed quotes are subject to revision, it said.

Prolamsa is following price hikes already announced by other domestic tubing mills, most of which raised tags by $40 per ton last month following a coil price increase of the same amount by domestic mills (amm.com, Oct. 26).

Some market sources told AMM that tube mills could be poised to boost prices by another $50 per ton on the heels of the most recent coil increase.

One distributor source said he had been told by domestic tube mill sources to expect an increase "any day now."

A second distributor said he had been told the same. "It might be the close of business (Friday)," he said, although he questioned whether demand for structural tubing would be strong enough to support a second increase in full, if at all.

On Friday, AMM hadn’t yet seen any price increases of $50 per ton from domestic structural tubing mills.