In June this year, Turkey's slab imports amounted to 142,858 metric tons, down by 61.4 percent compared to May and by 59 percent year on year, according to the preliminary data provided by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK). Meanwhile, the revenue generated by these imports totaled $77.47 million, decreasing by 57 percent compared to the previous month and by 53.5 percent year on year.
In the January-June period, Turkey's slab imports amounted to 1.41 million mt, down 28.8 percent, while the value of these imports decreased by 30.2 percent to $677.75 million, both year on year. The decline was mainly driven by weaker purchases from key suppliers. Imports from Russia fell by 24.1 percent year on year to 838,582 mt, though the country remained by far Turkey's largest slab supplier. Imports from Malaysia decreased by 59.9 percent to 204,344 mt, while imports from Algeria declined by 26.2 percent to 171,405 mt.
By contrast, imports from Vietnam increased by 99.9 percent to 100,450 mt, while Libya, from which no imports were recorded in the same period last year, entered the list with 65,242 mt. However, these increases remained limited in offsetting the declines in imports from Russia, Malaysia and Algeria. The 46.3 percent decrease in imports from Indonesia to 24,917 mt, together with the absence of imports from India and Iran this year, also contributed to the overall decline.
Turkey's slab imports - last 12 months
In June, the decline became much more pronounced. Monthly slab imports fell by 59 percent year on year to 142,858 mt, while the value of these imports decreased by 53.5 percent to $77.47 million. On a month-on-month basis, tonnage fell by 61.4 percent and value declined by 57 percent. In June, almost all imports were sourced from Russia, while imports from Russia decreased by 25.7 percent year on year to 140,669 mt. This indicates that the decline seen in the first half of the year accelerated further in June and that Turkey's slab import supply structure remained largely Russia-centered.
Turkey's top 10 slab import sources in the January-June period this year:
| Country | Amount (mt) | |||||
| January-June 2026 | January-June 2025 | Y-o-y change (%) | June 2026 | June 2025 | Y-o-y change (%) | |
| Russia | 838,582 | 1,104,317 | -24.1 | 140,669 | 189,230 | -25.7 |
| Malaysia | 204,344 | 510,030 | -59.9 | - | 101,574 | - |
| Algeria | 171,405 | 232,250 | -26.2 | 2,181 | 11,647 | -81.3 |
| Vietnam | 100,450 | 50,251 | 99.9 | - | - | - |
| Libya | 65,242 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Indonesia | 24,917 | 46,362 | -46.3 | - | 46,362 | - |
| UK | 5,770 | 20 | >1000.0 | - | - | - |
| Germany | 57 | 8 | 577.6 | 8 | 2 | 402.6 |
| China | 20 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sweden | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
Shares in Turkey's slab imports - January-June 2026
