Turkey’s steel exports surged in January 2025, rising 23pct YoY to 1.1 mln tons, with export value increasing 14.6pct to USD 763.4 mln, according to the Turkish Steel Producers’ Association (TCUD). The growth was driven by a 6.6pct increase in flat steel exports to 374,400 tons, a 25.3pct rise in long steel exports to 686,400 tons, and a sharp 401pct jump in semi-finished steel exports to 61,000 tons.
Steel imports also saw a significant rise, increasing nearly 25pct YoY to 1.7 mln tons, with import value up 11.2pct to USD 1.2 bln. The increase was fueled by a 22.4pct rise in flat steel imports to 900,700 tons and a nearly 33pct surge in semi-finished steel imports to 729,800 tons, while long steel imports edged down 0.4pct to 98,400 tons.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s crude steel production declined by 1.9pct to 3.2 mln tons in January 2025, while finished steel consumption grew 2.6pct to 3.6 mln tons.
TCUD noted that the removal of the 25pct tariff exemption by the U.S. on several major steel-producing countries, including Canada, Mexico, the EU, the UK, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea, may create a more level playing field for Turkish steel exports in the U.S. market. However, the association expressed concerns over rising steel imports and called for measures to protect the domestic industry, similar to those implemented by the U.S. and the EU.
