Turkish crude steel sees sharp decline in January

Turkish crude steel output maintained its downward trend in January due to unfavorable conditions in international markets and reduced competitiveness of domestic producers, according to the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association (TCUD).
 
In the given month, Turkey's crude steel output decreased by 10.4 percent year on year to 2.58 million mt. In January , Turkey's crude steel output by electric arc furnaces decreased by 9.8 percent year on year to 1.75 million mt while crude steel output by integrated plants decreased by 11.4 percent year on year to 835,000 mt.
 
On the other hand, in January Turkey's billet output decreased by 6.8 percent to 1.89 million mt while the country's slab output decreased by a significant 18.9 percent to 692,000 mt, both on year-on-year basis.