In the January-May period of this year, Turkey's steel exports decreased by 6.7 percent year on year to 8.07 million mt, while the value of these exports totaled $6.75 billion, down 3.9 percent, both on year-on-year basis, according to the data released by the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association (TCUD).
In the given period, Turkey's steel pipe exports totaled 791,000 mt, up 10 percent, and its long steel exports increased by 2.6 percent to 4.99 million mt, while flat steel exports decreased by 15.4 percent to 1.04 million mt and billet exports decreased by 65.6 percent to 366,000 mt due to the supply-demand gap and fierce competition in the global market, all on year-on-year basis. Meanwhile, in the first five months of the current year, Turkey's slab exports surged to 25,000 mt, while no slab exports were recorded from the country in the same period of 2013.
In May alone, Turkey's steel exports increased by 1.3 percent year on year to 1.73 million mt, while the value of these exports totaled $1.47 billion, up 2.9 percent, both on year-on-year basis. In the given period, Turkey's billet exports decreased by 52.6 percent to 75,000 mt, long steel exports declined by 0.8 percent to 1.03 million mt and just 28 mt of slab was exported, all compared to May 2013. Also in May this year, Turkey's flat steel exports increased by 9.5 percent to 240,000 mt and its steel pipe exports totaled 195,000 mt, up 49.5 percent, both on year-on-year basis.
On the other hand, in the first five months of this year, Turkey's steel exports exceeded its steel imports by 36 percent, up three percentage points compared to the same period last year. In May alone, Turkey's steel exports exceeded its steel imports by 40 percent, up from 31 percent in May last year.