Following the EU’s launching of a safeguard investigation on 26 steel product types in order to protect its own steel industry from threat of trade diversion due to the US Section 232 tariffs, the Turkish Steel Exporters' Association (CIB) has stated that, if the EU imposes safeguard measures, the Turkish steel industry will be severely impacted. According to the CIB, in accordance with the customs union agreement between Turkey and the EU, Turkey seeks to be excluded from the safeguard investigation.
The CIB has stated that the unease in the EU steel sector arising from the Section 232 tariffs is also valid for the Turkish steel industry, adding that the EU should not evaluate Turkey as a third country.
CIB chairman Namik Ekinci stated that the Turkish steel industry is not a threat to the EU, but a close trading partner, considering the significant trade volume between the two sides. Therefore, the EU and Turkey should act together against the threats coming from third countries, Mr. Ekinci added.
According to the CIB, in 2017 Turkey’s steel exports to the EU totaled 5.6 million mt, of which 4.6 million mt were comprised of the 26 product groups mentioned in the safeguard investigation. In the same year, Turkey imported five million mt of steel products from the EU.