Crude steel production increased by 6.8% year on year to 16.5 million tonnes in the first five months of 2026. According to data released by the Turkish Steel Producers' Association (TÇÜD), while production continued to rise, finished steel consumption recorded a slight decline in May but remained strong during the January–May period.
In May 2026, finished steel consumption declined by 1.1% year on year to 3.4 million tonnes. However, consumption in the January–May period increased by 7.5% compared with the same period of 2025, reaching 16.7 million tonnes.
Regarding foreign trade, steel exports decreased by 0.2% year on year to 1.3 million tonnes in May, while export value declined by 0.6% to USD 914.8 million. During the first five months of the year, exports decreased by 2.9% to 6.1 million tonnes in volume terms and by 4.7% to USD 4.1 billion in value compared with the same period last year.
On the import side, steel imports declined in May, with volumes falling by 16.4% year on year to 1.6 million tonnes and import value decreasing by 18.2% to USD 1 billion. Despite the monthly decline, imports during the January–May period increased by 0.5% to 7.5 million tonnes, while their value fell by 3.7% to USD 5.1 billion. As a result, the export-to-import coverage ratio declined from 80.8% in the first five months of 2025 to 79.9% in the corresponding period of 2026.
Türkiye should accelerate measures against unfair imports
Commenting on the data, Dr. Veysel Yayan, Secretary General of the Turkish Steel Producers' Association (TÇÜD), stated that despite the introduction of various trade policy measures targeting Chinese-origin steel products, imports from China have not declined as expected, with some product categories continuing to record significant increases. He also noted that steel imports from Russia and ASEAN countries have continued to rise, highlighting the growing trend toward protectionism in global trade.
Yayan added that the European Union's new steel safeguard measures, which entered into force in July 2026, are likely to have a more limited impact on the Turkish steel industry than initially anticipated. He noted that Türkiye could increase its annual steel exports to the EU to more than 3 million tonnes, benefiting from a share of the 1.5 million-tonne tariff-free quota allocated to countries covered by Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
Nevertheless, Yayan stressed that, amid the rapid expansion of protectionist policies worldwide, Türkiye should review its industrial and foreign trade policies and accelerate measures aimed at supporting domestic production, preventing unfair imports, and strengthening the country's foreign trade balance.
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