Starting 2013 on a bad note, Turkish steel exports were directly impacted by economic fluctuations in global markets and declines in commodity prices, according to Turkey's Steel Exporters' Association (CIB). The antidumping duty and safeguard investigations launched by Colombia and the US, the US embargo on Iran and domestic disturbances in Egypt and Syria also negatively affected Turkish steel exports, the CIB stated.
In September this year, Turkey's total steel product exports amounted to 1.3 million metric tons, falling 15.3 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, with a total revenue of $1.03 billion, down 13.5 percent year on year, according to the CIB data. During the first nine months of the year, Turkey's total steel product exports amounted to 13.93 million metric tons, down 6.6 percent compared to the same period last year. The revenue generated by these exports in January-September this year totaled $10.55 billion, decreasing by 10.5 percent year on year.
The Middle East remained Turkey's largest destination for steel exports in January-September this year, receiving 5.8 million metric tons, followed by EU countries and North Africa with 2.09 million mt and 1.4 million mt respectively.
According to the CIB, compared to the same period last year, in the first nine months this year Turkey's exports of rebar, which ranks first among the country's most exported steel products in terms of volume, amounted to 6.2 million mt, while Turkey exported 1.4 million mt of steel pipe, 1.3 million mt of steel billet, 1.2 million mt of steel section and 1.1 million mt of hot rolled flat steel.