The Istanbul Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Exporters’ Association (IDDMIB) has published the January 2026 results of the TR-METALENDEKS Turkey Metal Industry Export Index. According to the index data, the metal industry entered 2026 with a sharp contraction in volume terms but a historic peak in prices. In January, the export unit price reached $5.32/kg, the highest level in the history of the index, while the export volume index fell by 11.3 percent month on month and by 10.7 percent year on year to 111.8 points, the lowest level in the past 22 months.
Exports in volume terms showed a similar picture. Exports, which stood at 231,246 mt in December 2025, declined by 11.2 percent month on month to 205,262 mt in January.
Unit price at a historic peak
The export unit price, which has been on an upward trend for the last four months due to supply shortages, rose to $5.32/kg in January, marking the highest level in TR-METALENDEKS history. In December last year, the unit price was $4.88/kg.
The IDDMIB report stated that the main reason behind the price increase was insufficient supply, while weak global growth expectations for the 2026-29 period suggest that prices may enter a stable trend in the long term.
Value index supported by price increase
Despite the sharp contraction in volume, the decline in export revenues remained limited. In January this year, metal industry exports amounted to $1.91 billion, down 3.3 percent month on month. However, the value index increased by six percent year on year to 159 points. The report emphasized that the rise in the value index was entirely price-driven, with no contribution from volume growth.
Commenting on the January data, Çetin Tecdelioğlu, chairman of IDDMIB, stated that although 2026 began with a contraction in volume, price increases helped offset the loss in export revenues. Noting that the record-high export unit price of $5.32/kg highlights the metal industry’s value-added production potential, he emphasized the need to focus on a sustainable export structure based not on price increases but on strengthening market and product diversification in the coming period.