Speaking to Turkish TV channel Bloomberg HT, Veysel Yayan, secretary general of the Turkish Steel Producers’ Association (TÇÜD), and Uğur Dalbeler, vice president of the Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association (ÇİB), have commented on the Turkish ministry of commerce’s antidumping duty decision on hot rolled coil from China, India, Japan and Russia.
Saying he welcomes the decision, Veysel Yayan stated that, with any contraction in in China, the world’s largest steel producer, which leads to a one percent contraction in the Chinese steel industry, this creates a surplus of 10 million mt of steel which is exported to the global market. Stating that China’s exports, which totaled 94 million mt in 2023, are expected to increase to 120 million mt this year, Mr. Yayan emphasized that this situation turns China into a threat. Recalling the similar situation seen in 2015 and that some global steel producers tried to survive it by suspending their production or reducing the number of shifts that year, the TÇÜD official said that, although it is late for Turkey compared to the US, European and Latin American countries, the new duty decision may improve the trade balance in the Turkish steel industry. Stating that the balance to be achieved in steel imports will positively affect not only the Turkish steel industry but also other industries that use steel, Yayan emphasized that a potential increase in the use of local products is of importance for the Turkish economy.
Stating that the duty decision was made as the result of a long-standing demand, Uğur Dalbeler noted that the capacity utilization rate in the Turkish steel industry has recently decreased to 50-55 percent, and that it is the lowest level in terms of capacity utilization rates worldwide. Reporting that the capacity utilizations in China and India are at 90 percent and 70 percent, respectively, Mr. Dalbeler stated that China's aggressive export policy has caused serious damage to the global market. He noted that Turkey has become the only western market for China, as major markets such as Europe and the US have been protected by safeguard measures since 2018. Stating that the Turkish steel industry has been injured, especially due to dumped imports from the given origins, Dalbeler said that the new antidumping duties may increase the country's capacity utilization rate, enabling the Turkish steel industry to increase its competitiveness in the export markets.