According to a statement released by the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association (TCUD), the increasing competition in international markets, changing balances of scrap and iron ore prices, and the pressures felt on margins have led to the continuation of the decline in Turkey's crude steel production.
In May, Turkey's crude steel production decreased by 4.3 percent year on year and rose by 5.2 percent month on month to 2.91 million metric tons. In May, Turkey's crude steel output by electric arc furnaces declined 11.3 percent to 1.94 million metric tons, while crude steel production by integrated plants increased by 13.5 percent to 978,000 metric tons, both year on year.
Meanwhile, in the first five months of the current year, Turkey's crude steel production decreased by 5.9 percent year on year to 13.35 million metric tons. In the given period, Turkey's crude steel output by electric arc furnaces declined 12.1 percent to 8.89 million metric tons, while production by integrated plants increased by 9.6 percent to 4.46 million metric tons, both year on year.
In the January-May period, Turkey's billet output decreased by 5.8 percent to 9.87 million metric tons, while its slab output declined by 6.2 percent to 3.48 million metric tons, both on year-on-year basis.