Turkish steel imports fell -7% year-on-year in 2014 to 13.81 million tonnes as sourcing from the EU and CIS declined, although purchases from Asia surged, Kallanish learns from the Turkish Steel Producers’ Association (TCUD).

Steel imports from the EU declined -7.8% to 5.56mt, while purchases from the CIS declined -18.6% to 5.36mt; however, Asia-origin imports, spurred mainly by China, surged 38.5% to 2mt.

Billet and bloom imports last year declined -5.5% to 2.96mt, while slab purchases fell -21% to 1.82mt. Flat product imports were down -5.4% to 6.73mt, while longs imports fell -1.2% to 1.45mt and pipe imports declined -2.5% to 431,000t.

Besides slowing growth in China, political turmoil in the Middle East had a detrimental effect on Turkish steel exports in 2014. While total exports declined -5% to 18 mt, shipments to Turkey’s traditional main sales market plunged -20% to 6.08mt due to instability in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Although exports to Europe last year declined -5.8% to 3.08mt, shipments to the UK surged 24% to 598,000t, making it Turkey’s largest EU market in 2014. Deliveries to Romania, moreover, increased 14% to 455,000t, while sales to Germany rose 28.5% to 326,000t. Exports to Italy, however, plunged -50% to 352,000t.

The US, meanwhile, took in 102.4% more steel from Turkey in 2014 at 2.24mt. North Africa, however, imported -5.5% less from Turkey at 1.9mt, while shipments to the CIS fell -17% to 745,000t.

Turkey’s import/export ratio in 2014 thus totalled 100:126 compared to 100:123 a year earlier, Kallanish observes.