According to a statement released by the Turkish Steel Producers’ Association (TCUD), in April this year, crude steel production in Turkey increased by 1.6 percent year on year to 3.4 million mt, while in the January-April period the country’s crude steel production totaled 12.8 million mt, falling by 3.2 percent year on year.
In the January-April period, Turkey’s finished steel consumption fell by 5.1 percent to 11.5 million mt, while in April alone finished steel consumption in Turkey decreased by 1.2 percent to three million mt, both year on year.
In April, Turkey’s steel exports decreased by 12.1 percent to 1.4 million mt, while the value of these exports rose by 18.1 percent to $1.4 billion, year on year. Turkey’s steel exports in the January-April period stood at 5.7 million mt, down by 0.5 percent year on year, while the value of these exports came to $5.4 billion, up by 39.3 percent year on year.
In April, Turkey’s steel imports decreased by 17.9 percent to 1.3 million mt, while the value of these imports moved up by 11.2 percent to $1.4 billion, both year on year. In the first four months this year, steel imports decreased by 4.7 percent to 5.3 million mt, while the value of these imports increased by 35.7 percent to $5.7 billion, both year on year.
In the first four months of the year, Turkey’s steel export to import ratio increased to 95.0 percent, from 92.6 percent recorded in the same period of the previous year.
According to the TCUD, the country’s scrap imports fell in April due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the decline in scrap imports from the EU. Expressing that the EU’s efforts to impose restrictions on scrap exports are completely against the Free Trade and Customs Union Agreements between Turkey and the EU, the association stated that the possible restrictions will also negatively affect the efforts of the Turkish steel industry regarding the green deal. According to the TCUD, the EU’s prevention of scrap exports will lead to unfair competition by enabling EU steel producers to procure scrap at lower prices, and, on the other hand, it will negatively affect investments, scrap collection activities and climate change efforts of scrap producers in the EU, whose revenues will decrease due to falling prices.