Turkish Steel Exports Drop 6.4 Percent in September
Turkish steel exports fell 6.4% year-on-year in volume in September 2026 to reach 1.3 million tonnes, driven by the reduction of its market share in the EU, reportacero.com reported. Despite the lower tonnage, export revenues edged up 0.8% to $902.6 million due to higher average unit prices.
European Union Tariffs Drive Volume Down
The decline in European shipments represents the most severe blow to Turkey’s foreign trade in the sector. Steel shipments to EU countries dropped 23% to 3.7 million tonnes, erasing roughly 1.1 million tonnes of market volume. Veysel Yayan, general secretary of the Turkish Steel Producers Association (TCUD), attributed the contraction directly to the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and strict quota limits.
To offset these losses, Turkish producers increased shipments to alternative markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Latin America. However, TCUD data shows these alternative destinations cannot fully compensate for the European shortfall in the near term.
Production Rises While Domestic Demand Slips
Total Turkish steel production climbed 6.1% during the first nine months of 2026 to reach 29.8 million tonnes. September production alone hit 3.2 million tonnes, marking a 0.8% increase over the previous year.
Despite robust manufacturing figures, domestic consumption of finished steel fell 6.9% in September to 2.9 million tonnes, signaling that local demand is failing to keep pace with factory output. Over the first nine months of the year, cumulative finished steel consumption rose 2.2% to 29.5 million tonnes.
Trade Balance and Foreign Import Trends
Turkey’s overall export performance for the first nine months of 2026 showed slight gains. Combined exports rose 1.9% to 11.6 million tonnes, generating $7.9 billion in revenue—a 2.6% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
On the import side, Turkish steel purchases dropped significantly. September imports fell 22.3% by volume to 1.2 million tonnes and 12.8% by value to $908.4 million. Between January and September, import volumes decreased 5.7% to 13.3 million tonnes, while total import value fell 5.3% to $9.4 billion. These shifts strengthened Turkey’s export-to-import coverage ratio from 77.9% to 84.4%.
Regional trade patterns remain active elsewhere. According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, Turkish steel product imports into Ukraine totaled 637,000 tonnes between January and September. This figure represents a 2% year-on-year decline while accounting for 54% of Ukraine’s total steel imports during that timeframe.
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