According to a statement released by the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association (TCUD), in 2013 Turkey's crude steel production decreased by 3.4 percent year on year to 34.65 million metric tons, due to the decreasing price difference between raw materials and finished products, the strike at local producer Isdemir and the contraction in the global markets. Despite the decrease in its crude steel production, Turkey remained the eighth biggest crude steel producing country in the world.
In 2013, Turkey's crude steel output by electric arc furnaces declined 6.9 percent to 24.72 million metric tons, while production by blast furnaces increased by 6.5 percent to 9.93 million metric tons, both year on year. In the given year, Turkey's billet output decreased by 2.8 percent to 26.39 million metric tons and its slab output decreased by 5.3 percent to 8.36 million metric tons, both on year-on-year basis.
Meanwhile in December last year, Turkey's crude steel output decreased by 5.2 percent month on month and increased by 1.2 percent compared to December 2012, amounting to 2.90 million metric tons. In the given month, crude steel output by electric arc furnaces declined by 10.1 percent month on month and by 2.3 percent to 1.94 million metric tons, while production by blast furnaces increased by 6.6 percent month on month and by 11.6 year on year to 952,000 metric tons.