Turkey’s scrap imports in April up 11 percent from March

In April this year, Turkey’s scrap imports have again increased both month on month and year on year. The import volume in April alone came to 2.481 million mt, up approximately 11 percent month on month, according to the data provided by the Turkish Steel Producers' Association (TCUD). The full order books of Turkish mills have resulted in higher import scrap tonnages and it is observed that mills are also extending their delivery terms.

During the January-April period, Turkey's steel scrap import volume increased by 25.6 percent on year on year to 8.799 million metric tons. The value of these imports exceeded $3.568 million, up 80 percent year on year. Looking at Turkey’s scrap imports in April in detail, the EU maintained its number one position among suppliers of Turkey’s scrap imports with a 56.8 percent share, followed by the US with 14.1 percent and then the UK with 11.6 percent. It is noteworthy that Turkey’s scrap imports from the US indicated a 7.8 percent decrease year on year in the first four months of 2021.

The main sources of Turkey’s scrap imports in January-April 2021 can be seen in the table below:

The number of bookings for May shipments is expected to be higher than for April shipments and to indicate a rise year on year. Turkey’s scrap imports had totaled 1.168 million mt in May 2020 and 8.173 million mt in the January-May period of the same year.