Page 14 - ITAtube Journal 2/2019

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Market information
Figure 15: World Steel Tube and Pipe Production (regional) Total (ktons) Source: ITATube Journal/Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahlrohre e.V.
Growth in 2018 was dominated by volume gains in China (+2%), the US (+17%), India (+32%), ROW (+15%), CIS (+4%) and Japan (+6%). (Fig.17) What is remarka- ble is that US administration meas- ures have meant even obsolete seamless tube and pipe mills are now back in operation. However, economists can’t see such out- dated plant remaining online for long, since their economic per- formance remains questionable without major investment
The production of welded pipes < 406 mm OD (Fig.18) saw a global production volume increase in 2018 (+5%). China, after a series of weak results, was able to report an increase (+6%). It’s the US once more that has the most signi cant production increase to report (+11%). This tube and pipe dimension range represents by far the largest product segment, with average global growth of about 5 to 10%. Even the downturn of 2017 (-2%) was nowhere near as signi cant as the production vola- tility of other tube and pipe dimen- sion segments. It also has the advantage of being able to serve a number of growing markets, allow- ing producers to capitalize on a broader range of market prospects, as we’ve noted in previous reports.
The production of welded pipes ≥ 406 mm OD, at about 22 000 tons p.a. (± 5%), is by far the small- est product segment. (Fig.19) Its main application is large diame- ter line pipe projects. As we said earlier, such projects often depend on powerful stakeholder interven- tions and the capability of rele- vant pipe producers to qualify for them. The current US government, for example, has recently begun to impose import duties on line pipe imports to protect US line pipe producers. Either way, the
Figure 16: World Steel Tube and Pipe Production Seamless (ktons) Source: ITATube Journal/Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahlrohre e.V.
Figure 17: Regional Steel Tube and Pipe Production Seamless (ktons) Source: ITATube Journal/Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahlrohre e.V.
ITAtube Journal No2/May 2019