Although the steel pipe market has shown signs of rebound, overall demand remains weak. Following consecutive and aggressive price increases in both imported and domestic steel, Taiwanese steel pipe mills and distributors are expected to raise prices by approximately NT$1,500/ton after China Steel Corporation (CSC) announced a NT$1,200 increase in hot-rolled coil prices for April.

Subsequently, buyers began restocking to secure inventory. Meanwhile, elevated international oil prices have stimulated export demand for API-grade oil pipes. Market insiders noted that transaction prices had already risen ahead of the official release of new steel pipe quotations.

Supported by the continued rise in raw material costs, particularly coal and iron ore, export volumes have increased significantly. Downstream customers expect that steel pipe prices may continue to trend upward in the short term.