According to the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association (TCUD), in 2015 Turkey closed the year as a net importer of steel for the first time after 15 years.
In 2015, Turkey's steel imports increased by 38 percent year on year to 19.06 million mt, according to the data released by the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association (TCUD). In the given year, Turkey’s semi-finished imports amounted to 7.9 million mt, up 65 percent, on year-on-year basis, including billet and bloom imports totaling 4.95 million mt, up 67 percent, and slab imports amounting to 2.93 million mt, increasing by 61 percent, both year on year. In 2015, flat steel imports totaled 8.6 million mt, rising by 28 percent on year-on-year basis.