According to a statement released by the Turkish Steel Producers’ Association (TCUD), in May this year Turkey’s crude steel production increased by 8.9 percent year on year to 3.44 million mt, while in the first five months of the year the country’s crude steel output rose by 6.8 percent year on year to 16.48 million mt. In the January-May period, Turkey’s billet production amounted to 9.77 million mt, down 0.6 percent, while slab production totaled 6.71 million mt, increasing by 19.8 percent, both compared to the same period of 2025.
In the given period, Turkey’s finished steel production increased by 5.9 percent year on year to 18.36 million mt, while finished steel consumption rose by 7.8 percent year on year to 16.68 million mt.
In May, Turkey’s steel exports decreased by 0.2 percent year on year to 1.36 million mt, while the value of these exports fell by 0.6 percent year on year to $914.44 million. In the first five months, the country’s steel exports decreased by 2.9 percent year on year to 6.13 million mt, while the value of these exports declined by 4.7 percent year on year to $6.13 billion. Flat and long product exports in the January-May period amounted to 2.50 million mt and 3.18 million mt, respectively, with decreases of 8.4 percent and 4.8 percent year on year, while semi-finished product exports amounted to 451,361 mt, up by 84.2 percent year on year.
In May, Turkey’s steel imports decreased by 16.4 percent year on year to 1.58 million mt, while the value of these imports fell by 18.2 percent year on year to $1.04 billion. In the January-May period, the country’s steel imports increased by 0.5 percent year on year to 7.51 million mt, while the value of these imports moved down by 3.7 percent year on year to $5.10 billion. Looking at the imported products, flat and long product imports in the first five months amounted to 3.45 million mt and 598,135 mt, respectively, with decreases of 4.8 percent and 5.3 percent year on year, while semi-finished product imports amounted to 3.47 million mt, up by 7.7 percent year on year.
In the first five months, Turkey’s steel export-to-import ratio decreased to 79.93 percent, from 80.75 percent recorded in the same period of the previous year.
TCUD stated that the EU's new quota regime, which entered into force on July 1, will significantly reduce steel imports into the bloc. At the same time, the association noted that Turkey has been allocated a country-specific quota of 2.86 million mt, corresponding to 15.6 percent of the total quota volume, adding that total Turkish exports to the EU are expected to exceed 3.0 million mt when shipments under the free trade agreement (FTA) quota are included.
The association also pointed out that the Turkish steel industry is currently operating at only 63.9 percent of its 61.9 million mt production capacity and stressed the need for measures encouraging domestic sourcing, similar to those implemented in the US and the EU. TCUD added that, with the full implementation of CBAM, the industry will need to further strengthen its sustainability performance in terms of products and production methods, while calling for quantitative restrictions on imports, particularly from the Far East and Russia, stronger efforts to expand Turkey's share in the EU market, and broader measures to enhance the sector's competitiveness.
Turkey’s crude steel production - May 2026
