STEEL PRODUCTION

In April 2025, Turkey’s crude steel production increased by 7% year-on-year, reaching 3 million tons.

For the January–April period, production declined by 1%, totaling 12.3 million tons.

STEEL CONSUMPTION

In April 2025, final steel consumption decreased by 2.9% compared to the same month in 2024, falling to 3 million tons.

During the first four months of the year, final consumption dropped by 6.3%, amounting to 12 million tons.

FOREIGN TRADE

Exports

In April 2025, steel product exports increased by 14.4% in volume compared to April 2024, reaching 1.2 million tons. In value terms, exports rose by 6% to USD 813.1 million.

From January to April, steel exports rose by 17.3% in volume to 5 million tons, and by 7.6% in value, reaching USD 3.4 billion.

Imports

In April 2025, steel product imports declined by 9.1% in volume compared to the same month in 2024, falling to 1.4 million tons. In value, imports dropped by 13%, amounting to USD 1 billion.

In the January–April period, steel imports rose by 0.9% in volume to 5.6 million tons, while in value they decreased by 6.6% to USD 4 billion.

Foreign Trade Balance

The export-to-import coverage ratio, which was 72.4% in January–April 2024, rose to 83.4% in the same period of 2025.

GLOBAL STEEL PRODUCTION

According to the World Steel Association (worldsteel), global crude steel production in April 2025 declined by 0.3% year-on-year to 155.7 million tons. For the January–April period, global production dropped by 0.4% to 624.4 million tons.

In April 2025, China’s crude steel output remained at the same level as the previous year. For the January–April period, China’s production increased by 0.4% year-on-year, reaching 345.3 million tons. India ranked second with a 6.9% increase, producing 53.2 million tons, while Japan’s production fell by 5.3% to 27 million tons.

ASSESSMENT

With Turkey’s crude steel production increasing by 7% in April to 3 million tons, total production for the January–April period remained steady at 12.3 million tons. This increase, along with a 10% decline in Germany’s output in April, helped strengthen Turkey’s position in 7th place globally.

After a sharp 23% drop in final steel consumption and a 13% rise in long product consumption in March, the decline in April slowed. During the first four months, billet imports rose by 10.6%, while Turkey — one of the world’s top long product exporters — increased its imports of long products by 14.6%, which drew attention. Although exports grew by 17% and imports only slightly by 0.9%, the trade deficit in steel remained high at around 600,000 tons.

On the other hand, the latest OECD “Steel Outlook” report indicates that global steel production capacity continues to rise faster than demand, leading to a global overcapacity exceeding 600 million tons in 2024. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years. Meanwhile, Far Eastern countries — especially China — have significantly increased their exports to Turkey, raising concerns over rising imports of dumped products.

Beyond creating unfair competition, global overcapacity also reduces profitability in the industry and negatively impacts the financing of green transition efforts. Another challenge to the green transformation is the growing trend of restricting global scrap exports. As the EU has increased its internal scrap consumption while reducing exports, Turkey’s scrap imports from Europe have fallen by 20% over the past five years.

To ensure the sustainability of the Turkish steel industry, it is crucial to:

• Develop alternative raw material inputs to scrap,

• Limit the increasing volume of dumped imports from Far Eastern countries, and

• Reframe the Inward Processing Regime (DİR) to prioritize domestic supply.

These steps are essential for reducing the steel industry’s contribution to the current account deficit and strengthening its strategic role.

Source: Turkish Steel Producers Association