According to a statement released by the Turkish Steel Producers’ Association (TCUD), in June this year crude steel production in Turkey decreased by 3.5 percent year on year to 2.87 million mt, while in the first half, production declined by 1.7 percent year on year to 18.3 million mt.
In the given month, finished steel consumption in Turkey rose by 8.8 percent year on year to 3.07 million mt, while in the January-June period the country’s finished steel consumption decreased by 2.6 percent year on year to 18.59 million mt.
In June, Turkey’s steel exports increased by 21.5 percent to 1.37 million mt, while the value of these exports rose by 13.5 percent to $931.32 million, year on year. In the first half, the country’s steel exports rose by 18.6 percent to 7.68 million mt, while the value of these exports increased by 8.8 percent to $5.21 billion, both year on year. Flat and long product exports in the January-June period amounted to 3.35 million mt and 4.01 million mt, respectively, with increases of 19.4 percent and 14.3 percent year on year, while semi-finished product exports amounted to 323,210 mt.
In the sixth month of the current year, Turkey’s steel imports increased by 52.4 percent to 1.78 million mt, while the value of these imports moved up by 28.7 percent to $1.19 billion, both year on year. In the January-June period, the country’s steel imports increased by 12.6 percent to 9.26 million mt, while the value of these imports moved down by 0.3 percent to $6.5 billion, both year on year. Looking at the imported products, flat and long product imports in the first half amounted to 4.41 million mt and 774,709 mt, respectively, with increases of 2.1 percent and 15.0 percent year on year, while semi-finished product imports amounted to 4.08 million mt.
In the first six months, Turkey’s steel export to import ratio increased to 80.18 percent, from 73.50 percent recorded in the same period of the previous year.
According to the TCUD, Turkey's steel foreign trade deficit with the Far Eastern countries and Russia continued to widen in the first half. The country's imports from the Far East increased by 9.9 percent year on year to 4.7 million mt, while its exports decreased by 29 percent year on year to a very low level of 59,200 mt. Turkey’s imports from Russia increased by 74.5 percent year on year to 2.2 million mt, while its exports decreased by 73.6 percent year on year to 11,100 mt. The largest decline in Turkey’s steel exports was recorded in the Latin American market. The country’s exports to this region fell by 29.5 percent year on year to 355,000 mt, while its exports to the EU increased by 38.6 percent year on year to 3.4 million mt.
The association stated that, in addition to the increase in imports seen in June, imports under the Turkey’s inward processing regime from China, Russia, and other Far Eastern countries are creating serious problems for the Turkish steel sector. It was reported that imports under the inward processing regime, which have reached nearly 100 percent for some products, are now competing with the country's production capacity as the regime is being used to export products with limited added value rather than to process and export products that are not produced in Turkey. The TCUD stated that the inward processing regime should be reviewed immediately.
Furthermore, the TCUD emphasized the importance of taking measures to prevent redirected imports from countries that have additional safeguard measures, particularly the US and the EU, to close the current account deficit of the Turkish steel industry.
Turkey's crude steel production - June 2025
