In July this year, Turkey's stainless flat steel imports rose by 8.57 percent year on year and by 6.17 percent compared to June to 45,072 metric tons, following the 14.33 percent month-on-month decrease recorded in June, according to the data provided by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK). The value of these imports in July was $102.52 million, increasing by 6.03 percent year on year and by 8.65 percent compared to June.
Meanwhile, in the January-July period of the current year, Turkey's stainless flat steel imports amounted to 301,043 metric tons, increasing by 12.53 percent, with a value of $660.87 million, up 2.31 percent, both year on year.
In the first seven months of this year, Turkey's stainless flat steel imports from Taiwan, which ranked as Turkey's top import source for the products in question in 2013, decreased by 39.58 percent year on year to 34,549 mt. In the given period, South Korea was Turkey's leading import source for stainless flat steel, supplying 82,563 metric tons, up 82.23 percent year on year. China followed South Korea, with its stainless flat steel exports to Turkey in the given period increasing by 130.36 percent year on year to 55,474 metric tons. Meanwhile, in the given period Turkey's stainless flat steel imports from Italy increased by 129.45 percent year on year to 41,774 metric tons. In July alone, Turkey's biggest stainless flat steel source was South Korea, which supplied 13,085 mt.
Turkey's top 10 stainless flat steel import sources in the first seven months of the current year are as follows:
| Country | Amount (mt) | |||||
| January-July 2014 | January-July 2013 | Y-o-y change (%) | July 2014 | July 2013 | Y-o-y change (%) | |
| S. Korea | 82,563 | 45,307 | 82.23 | 13,085 | 8,315 | 57.37 |
| China | 55,474 | 24,081 | 130.36 | 9,132 | 3,935 | 132.07 |
| Italy | 41,774 | 18,206 | 129.45 | 5,129 | 2,233 | 129.69 |
| Taiwan | 34,549 | 57,180 | -39.58 | 5,198 | 6,664 | -22.00 |
| Finland | 16,969 | 23,089 | -26.51 | 2,286 | 3,751 | -39.06 |
| Belgium | 12,970 | 14,711 | -11.83 | 1,637 | 2,405 | -31.93 |
| Germany | 12,494 | 25,111 | -50.24 | 1,593 | 4,410 | -63.88 |
| France | 11,767 | 9,211 | 27.75 | 1,506 | 1,954 | -22.93 |
| Spain | 6,637 | 6,780 | -2.11 | 1,307 | 663 | 97.13 |
| S. Africa | 6,371 | 10,874 | -41.41 | 1,010 | 2,731 | -63.02 |
Turkey's main stainless flat steel sources on country basis in the first seven months of this year are presented below:
