Stainless steel pipe, fittings & flanges report: November 2017
Stainless base price hikes announced in September took hold last month, for the most part, and that success has led some analysts to believe more base price increases for November also will stick.
However, American Metal Market (AMM) reports that surcharges are expected to decrease for the first time in three months due to lower nickel and iron prices. Domestic kingpins ATI, AK Steel, NAS and Outokumpu Stainless USA all announced diminished surcharges ranging from below (1.0) % for Type 430 (AK) up to (4.97) % declines for Type 316, announced by both ATI and NAS.
Most observers believe stainless steel prices are expected to increase globally through the end of the year, mainly due to higher input costs and steady demand in the Asian, European and North American markets.