Against the backdrop of China's impact on the international markets, falling profit margins and pressure on prices, Turkey's crude steel output continued to decline significantly on year-on-year basis in November, according to the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association (TCUD).
In November this year, Turkey's crude steel output decreased by 8.6 percent year on year and was up by three percent compared to October to 2.8 million metric tons. In November, Turkey's crude steel output by electric arc furnaces decreased by 12 percent year on year and rose by 4.4 percent month on month to 1.91 million metric tons, while production by blast furnaces registered a decline of 0.4 percent year on year and increased by 2.7 percent month on month to 890,000 metric tons.
Meanwhile, in the first 11 months of this year Turkey's crude steel output recorded a decrease of 1.7 percent year on year, totaling 31.23 million mt. In the given period, Turkey's crude steel production by electric arc furnaces declined by four percent year on year to 21.86 million metric tons and production by blast furnaces increased by 4.4 percent year on year to 9.37 million metric tons, supported by the cost advantage over scrap due to falling iron ore prices.
In the January-November period this year, Turkey's billet output decreased by 6.5 percent to 22.56 million mt, while the country's slab output increased by 13.5 percent to 8.67 million mt, both on year-on-year basis.