China Steel Corp. (CSC) raised the February price, and the price of imported hot-rolled coil (HRC) from South Korea was also increased. Therefore, the distribution price of HRC followed suit, and there were even rumors in the market that CSC might raise the March price further. 

Carbon steel pipe factories mentioned that after the HRC price increase, pick-up volumes from local distributors and end users have recovered, and there was a wave of restocking. However, the strength of buying momentum was not very strong, and actual demand remained slow. As a result, the factories did not deliberately raise prices and maintained the January price to promote sales. 

At present, protecting existing customers is the main principle, and customers are also advised to replenish their inventory to avoid further price increases from CSC.