Piping Supplies has been in the industrial pipe, valve, and fitting business for over 50 years. This is an industry where a reliable material source and reliable quality of materials has always been important. Our products are going into welded pressure piping systems in power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants and on nuclear navy vessels. A failure due to incorrect material would potentially be catastrophic. That has not always been the case for less critical commercial applications where lower price was at least as important as the metals used. We are now seeing more attention to reliable material sources even in commercial uses. Why the change?
Some of the changes we see from commercial metal users started in 2020 during the pandemic. International supply chains were interrupted leaving many manufacturers scrambling to keep production going. Remember the computer chip shortage that made new car availability slow to a crawl? Many manufacturers began the process of onshoring their supply chains again. That was the beginning of the realization that the material supplied by some foreign countries may not have been what the were supposed to be.
Fast forward three years to 2023 when I am writing this. We now see many more commercial inquiries which ask for material supplied by domestic sources or by Western European countries. No China and no India has become the norm. Other countries have been added to the “don’t trust” list as well. The data is mounting, and being shared, through more and more industries that some countries, including China and India, have other chemical components included in their steel which degrade its performance. Basically, you get what you pay for.
Anyone in business knows you live and die by your reputation. Trust is very hard to get back once it is lost. I am afraid the Chinese and Indian steel industries have a long road to recover form their lack of quality control and consistency. More manufacturers are realizing buying quality parts and materials from reliable material sources actually helps profitability, not hurt it. And, that is a very good thing.