PVF Distributors Speak Out On Current Market Conditions

Each month ASA’s Industrial Piping Division asks wholesalers doing business in the industrial and mechanical PVF space for their comments on current market conditions and trends.

Here's a quick sampling from the soon-to-be-released September Materials Market Digest, produced by the ASA Industrial Piping Division and Armada Corporate Intelligence.

“Sales are up (15 percent). A few good-size projects are in full swing. A new hospital, several defense infrastructure buildings, three schools, one factory (4 expansions) and three warehouses.”
 

The Distributor Says
Each month ASA’s Industrial Piping Division asks wholesalers doing business in the industrial/mechanical PVF space to send in comments on current market conditions and trends.

• September started out white hot out of the gate but cooled mid-month.  The early push may have been driven by the tariffs affecting the copper press business with contractors scrambling to get their orders out before the 25 percent price increase. The lowering of the interest rates should help some with multi-unit housing starts but that business has been tepid at best all year.

• We are seeing a slowdown in September as we are waiting on customer projects to be scheduled. Hopefully, the interest rate reduction in October that is being talked about will happen.

• We are primarily in the petrochemical/chemical space, and our customers are all slower than they have been the last couple months.

• Sales are up (15 percent). A few good-size projects are in full swing. A new hospital, several defense infrastructure buildings, three schools, one factory (4 expansions) and three warehouses.

Positives: Some retooling. Manufacturing expansion.

Concerns: Still waiting for the other shoe to drop concerning tariffs. Prices are steadily increasing.

Forecast: Customers/owners are cautiously moving forward, but with an eye on the effect of the tariffs. We hear from some of our bigger players that they are not looking beyond the current slate of business, which in many cases, will stretch into 2026. I don’t expect significant change for the rest of this year.”

Location: South Central

• Our sales were up 10 percent in August and are up 7 percent YTD. We had solid sales performance at all of our branches and divisions in August. Our power and energy division is certainly busy, but sales are solid across the board.

Positives: Anticipation of on-hold project releases is building with the anticipation of the Fed’s rate cut.

Forecast: We see no slowdown in current activity and we are looking for a solid finish to the year.

Location: Northeast

Cast-Iron Update
McWane (Tyler Pipe) and Charlotte Pipe and Foundry have announced new 2026 list price sheets for cast-iron pipe & fittings that will represent an approximate 5% list price increase for all cast-iron pipe & fittings. Both companies will be taking allocated orders from the current list price sheet through the end of November 2025. Tyler and Charlotte Pipe are asking that you contact your local sales representative to help address any questions or specific details you may have. 

Stainless Update
The stainless fitting market remains stable because there have been no major changes on tariffs. There is some confusion on how to price the tariffs as some suppliers are blending the old costs with the newer costs as most markets, other than data centers, have been slow to grow. The reality is that all steel products do have a 50% tariff on the material portion of what is being imported. Domestic products have been able to be more competitive because of the new costs. The stock market is still broadcasting optimism for the future.

Malleable Iron Pipe Fittings & Steel Pipe Nipples/Couplings Update
Current economic factors related to Section 232 and reciprocal tariffs will cause upcoming price increases on malleable iron pipe fittings and steel pipe nipples and couplings.