Steel Pipe

This Market Intelligence Report focuses on the steel pipe marketplace in the United States from a supply chain sourcing perspective. The steel pipe industry includes products ranging from steel pipes and tubes, which are part of the manufacturing trade sector and produce a range of welded, riveted or seamless pipes and tubes from purchased iron or steel. The supplier base is healthy but wary, as they grapple with rapidly changing recessionary forces and eroding demand. The steel pipe and tube manufacturing industry will most likely outperform the broader manufacturing sector over the next five years, primarily due to economic stimulus and energy investments. The steel pipe category has medium product segmentation and serves primarily the industrial, commercial and consumer markets. The demand for steel piping is generated by various upstream and downstream industries with primary drivers including industrial production indexes, rig counts, gas and water transmission, and economic stimulus measures. Key costs around the steel pipe category include primary metals (steel), labor costs and processing costs of electricity and natural gas. The major trends in the steel pipe industry include the increased customer emphasis on just-in-time inventory methods, and an increased emphasis on cost control, among others. International markets are changing and import/export competition is increasing. The sector risk outlook for the steel pipe industry is increasing based on demand issues. Category management best practices around the steel pipe industry include strategic sourcing practices, green initiatives and international market dynamic advantages.

Starting with detailed background information to provide category context, this report provides insight into the market drivers around demand and key costs, including both historical and forecasted commodity pricing. The supply base section covers the top suppliers, including high-level overviews and market news. The report presents the NAICS category cost structure and historical, current and future pricing curves as well as average margins on a current and 5 year basis. The trend section reports new and emerging industry directions. Regulatory considerations include tariff and taxation issues and developing governmental initiatives. Risk outlooks offer a view into upstream drivers that could adversely affect the industry and category. Insights and Best Practices share winning strategies around the management and sourcing of this category.