Regarding the request made by
Turkey-based Flat Steel Users Platform for the removal of the import duty on flat rolled steel, Dr. Veysel Yayan, general secretary of the Turkish Steel Producers' Association (TCUD), said that the Turkish steel industry understands the efforts of the flat rolled steel using industries and companies to procure raw material given the global market conditions.
"However, it should be noted that flat rolled steel users can import flat steel without paying any import duties from the EU and the other countries with which
Turkey has free trade agreements.
Turkey's Inward Processing Regime also provides the opportunity to import without paying duties. Considering all these, claiming that ‘import duties negatively affect the flat steel using industry's global competitiveness' does not reflect the truth," Dr. Yayan continued.
The TCUD general secretary pointed out that
Turkey's flat steel production exceeds domestic consumption, adding that in 2013
Turkey's flat steel imports amounted to 7.2 million mt, resulting in a decline in flat steel plants' capacity usage to 55 percent.