Speaking to SteelOrbis, Veysel Yayan, general secretary of Turkish Iron and Steel Producers' Association, has evaluated the current situation and export performance of the Turkish steel industry in the context of the global crisis and the narrowing steel demand in most consuming markets worldwide.
Mr. Yayan emphasized that Turkey has seen improvements in plenty of alternative export markets and that its relations with neighbouring countries so far this year have also been boosted. As regards the recent depressed situation in the Gulf, particularly in the construction sector in Dubai, Turkey has acted swiftly in substituing this major export market with new ones and thus has been able to avoid any major negative impact. Turkey is now focused mainly on the North African countries (including Libya), Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Singapore, Yemen and others.
Exports to the UAE market have declined gradually, posting a total drop of 69 percent year on year to 1.54 million mt so far this year. Nevertheless, Turkey has been able to compensate for this loss with exports to other destinations with the assistance of certain advantages such as freight. China, though strongly competitive in the exports markets worldwide, has been unable to achieve a complete success due to Turkey's freight advantage particularly in its neigboring regions, according to Mr. Yayan.
In conclusion, Mr. Yayan stated that Turkey has registered a 10 percent drop in the capacity utilization rates in its steel industry this year, with the current rates floating at around 70 percent, though the impact of newly-added capacities must also be taken into account. With output levels expected to fall only by five percent, Mr. Yayan indicated that Turkish producers do not hold a pessimistic view as regards the future prospects from 2010 onwards.