Speaking during a panel discussion on the impact of Covid-19 on the flat steel, coated steel and steel pipe segments held on the last day of the 15th SteelOrbis "New Horizons in Steel Markets" annual conference being held virtually on December 1-3, Tolga Kisacikoglu, chairman of Turkey-based Galva Metal, stated that Turkish steel service centers have more advantages regarding flexibility, speed and problem-solving skills compared to steel service centers in the EU. He added that, on the other and, the steel service centers in the EU, which operate in a large economy where capital is abundant, have an advantage in terms of efficiency.
Pointing out that Galva Metal also operates in Romania and Bulgaria, Mr. Kisacikoglu stated that the company has a vision of becoming a local supplier within the EU and that they are working on other alternatives besides these two countries. He stated that exports are increasing as galvanized and coated sheet capacity increases in Turkey, and so Galva Metal is trying to develop its capacity accordingly. Kisacikoglu emphasized that, although the pandemic affects their way of doing business, they are now ahead of last year in all kinds of parameters such as tonnage and turnover. Sharing his predictions for 2021, the Galva Metal chairman said that flat steel demand in Turkey may rise by 10-15 percent compared to this year.