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Steel Price Watch: August 2025 HRC — What It Means for Pipe Quotes

  • Writer: Pipekom
    Pipekom
  • Aug 29
  • 2 min read

🔎 Market Snapshot (August 2025)

  • SteelBenchmarker U.S. HRB: $827/st (Aug 25, 2025)

  • Platts TSI U.S. HRC: $820/st (Aug 20, 2025)

  • CME Midwest HRC Futures: $835 (Aug), $841 (Sep), $845 (Oct)

  • Nucor CSP (spot offers): $875/st mid-Aug (–$15 week-on-week)

  • China SS400 HRC FOB: $476/mt (Aug 21)

U.S. coil is holding in the low–mid $800s/st, protected by tariffs but pressured by soft demand and new capacity (~21 Mt). The U.S.–Asia spread remains $300+/mt, highlighting competitive import leverage.

🏗️ What This Means for Pipe Quotes

For welded steel pipes (ERW, spiral/SAW):

  • Feedstock is HRC. When coil prices move ±$20–$40/st, welded pipe base quotes adjust almost 1:1 on the steel cost portion.

  • Non-steel adders (coatings, QA/inspection, logistics) are decoupled from HRC but represent 15–25% of delivered cost.

For large-diameter linepipes:

  • Coil/plate dynamics influence negotiations. With U.S. coil softening, buyers can negotiate better positions for DN 2000–3000 mm spiral welded pipes (like Pipekom’s supply to Egypt’s Mostakbal Masr).

For seamless & OCTG:

  • Driven more by billet & tube rounds plus energy demand, but tariff-protected U.S. prices remain elevated vs. Asia. That keeps Pipekom’s global sourcing edge valuable for clients in oil & gas.


📌 How Pipekom Adds Value in This Market

Pipekom is not just a trader — we position ourselves as partners from tender to delivery. Here’s how our services align with current HRC trends:

  • 🌍 Product Range:

    • Welded steel pipes (spiral, longitudinal, ERW) — DN 200–3000 mm

    • Seamless pipes & OCTG — casing, tubing, drill pipe

    • Ductile iron (DI) pipes — PN 10–25, DN 80–1200 mm

    • HDPE & GRP pipelines — large-scale water & sewer projects

    • Valves, fittings, and accessories

  • 📊 Technical Expertise:

    • We help clients calculate impact of steel price movements on pipe BOMs. Example: a –$20/st drop in HRC can reduce cost by ≈$27/km for DN 600 mm ERW pipelines (uncoated).

    • Adders like 3LPE/3LPP coatings or epoxy linings are fixed per m² — unaffected by HRC swings.

  • 🚚 Logistics & Delivery:

    • With HRC volatility, freight & timing become critical. Pipekom arranges CIF/CFR delivery to ports like Alexandria, Aqaba, Tema, Jeddah, Muscat.

    • Our 20+ country network helps clients choose between domestic mill allocation vs. import alternatives, depending on spreads (e.g., U.S. vs. China coil gap).

  • 🤝 Procurement Strategy:

    • Pipekom advises clients to stage purchases in soft markets (like Aug–Sep 2025).

    • We leverage futures pricing as a hedge tool where applicable.


🔮 Outlook for Q4 2025

  • Expect flat to mildly firmer coil ($840–$875/st) if U.S. inventories tighten post-maintenance.

  • Asia HRC is likely to stay sub-$500/mt; imports will remain a pressure point.

  • For Pipekom’s clients, this is a timely window to secure welded pipe contracts before any Q4 rebound.


 
 
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