In the January-May period of the current year, Turkey's steel exports decreased by 5.1 percent year on year to 7.8 million mt, while the value of these exports totaled $5.9 billion, up 20.2 percent on year-on-year basis, according to the data released by the Turkish Steel Exporters' Association (CIB).
In the January-May period, Turkey's main steel export destination was the EU, which was followed by the Middle East, North America, Central and South America and North Africa.
Meanwhile, in the given period, Turkey's main exported steel product was rebar with total exports amounting to 2.3 million mt, falling by 14.7 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Rebar was followed by hot rolled flat steel exports amounting to 1.3 million mt, welded pipe exports totaling 793,000 mt, wire rod exports amounting to 723,000 mt and steel section exports reaching 708,000 mt.
In May alone, Turkey's steel exports went up by 1.9 percent year on year to 1.5 million mt, while the value of these exports totaled $1.2 billion, up 25.3 percent compared to the same month of the previous year.
“Despite the fact that the inclusion of the EU, Canada and Mexico in the Section 232 tariffs of the US has provided an advantage for our steel industry with respect to our steel exports to the US, we will continue our efforts to gain exemption from the Section 232 tariffs. In addition to the US steel duties, we are now facing with the safeguard duties of the EU. Turkey is an inseparable part of the EU because of the customs union agreement between the two sides, and so the EU should consider Turkey as a close trading partner and allow us to act together,” commented CIB chairman Adnan Aslan.