According to a statement released by the Turkish Steel Producers’ Association (TCUD), in November last year crude steel production increased by 9.9 percent year on year to 3.31 million mt in Turkey, the world’s eighth largest steelmaking country, while in the first 11 months of the year production rose by two percent year on year to 34.6 million mt. In November, Turkey’s billet and slab production amounted to 2.08 million mt and 1.22 million mt, up 9.4 percent and 11.1 percent year on year, respectively. In the January-November period, Turkey produced 21.97 million mt of billet, up 5.1 percent, against 12.61 million mt of slab, down 3.1 percent, both compared to the same period of 2024.
In the given month, finished steel consumption in Turkey rose by 0.5 percent year on year to 3.65 million mt, while in the January-November period the country’s finished steel consumption decreased by 8.8 percent year on year to 35.85 million mt.
In November, Turkey’s steel exports rose by 22.2 percent to 1.17 million mt, while the value of these exports increased by 9.8 percent to $774.78 million, year on year. In the first 11 months, the country’s steel exports rose by 13.3 percent to 13.71 million mt, while the value of these exports increased by 4.5 percent to $9.26 billion, both year on year. Flat and long product exports in the January-November period amounted to 5.93 million mt and 7.24 million mt, respectively, with increases of 11.7 percent each year on year, while semi-finished product exports amounted to 541,363 mt.
In November, Turkey’s steel imports decreased by 3.5 percent to 1.75 million mt, while the value of these imports moved down by 5.2 percent to $1.14 billion, both year on year. In the January-November period, the country’s steel imports increased by 11.8 percent to 17.39 million mt, while the value of these imports moved up by 0.9 percent to $12.06 billion, both year on year. Looking at the imported products, flat and long product imports in the first 11 months amounted to 8.34 million mt and 1.36 million mt, respectively, with increases of 12.6 percent and 11.7 percent year on year, while semi-finished product imports amounted to 7.69 million mt.
In the first 11 months, Turkey’s steel export to import ratio increased to 76.83 percent, from 74.17 percent recorded in the same period of the previous year.
According to the TCUD, in the January-November period of 2025, the increase recorded in Turkey’s imports was driven by China, which is seeking to divert its excess production into international markets, as well as by Russia, whose exports have risen due to declining domestic consumption and sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine, leaving it with access to a limited number of markets, including Turkey. During the given period, steel product imports from Russia increased by 44 percent to 4.1 million mt, while imports from China rose by 19.4 percent to four million mt. China’s exports are expected to continue increasing and reach 120 million mt by year-end.
Meanwhile, with China’s steel demand projected to decline by two percent in 2025 and one percent in 2026, the TCUD assessed that export pressure originating from China will not ease in the short term. In addition to import pressure, there are concerns that new safeguard measures planned by the EU to take effect in the second half of 2026 could cause significant damage to Turkey’s steel exports.