Turkey reduced scrap imports by 5.8% y/y in 1H2025

The key suppliers of raw materials are the US, the Netherlands, and the UK

According to SteelOrbis, citing data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), Turkish steel companies reduced imports of ferrous scrap by 5.8% year-on-year – to 9.38 million tons in January-June 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

Spending on raw material imports for the six months decreased by 16.2% year-on-year – to $3.56 billion. The key suppliers are the United States – 1.72 million tons (-18.8% y-o-y), the Netherlands – 1.5 million tons (+14.5% y-o-y), and the United Kingdom – 924,290 tons (-16.5% y-o-y). Belgium exported 740,860 tons of scrap (+14.1% y-o-y) to Turkey, Denmark – 496,900 tons (-0.7% y-o-y), and Lithuania – 486,100 tons (+0.9% y-o-y).

In June, imports of scrap to the Turkish market decreased by 8.7% compared to June 2024 and by 24.2% compared to the previous month, to 1.21 million tons. Import costs fell by 16.7% y/y and 27.6% m/m to $455.28 million.

The US sent 386,440 tons of raw materials to Turkey during the month (+9.5% y/y), the Netherlands – 131,510 tons (+50% y/y), Belgium – 79,030 tons (-12.7% y/y), Lithuania – 87.05 thousand tons (+20.2% y/y), Russia – 79.58 thousand tons (-23.4% y-o-y), Germany – 78.95 thousand tons (+42.1% y/y), Poland – 74.01 thousand tons (+235.5% y-o-y).

As GMK Center reported earlier, in 2024, Turkey increased its imports of ferrous scrap by 6.7% compared to 2023, to 20.09 million tons. In December 2024, Turkish metallurgists imported 1.85 million tons of the relevant raw materials, which is 11.1% more than in December 2023 and 25.5% more than in the previous month.

The key suppliers of raw materials in December were the United States – 304,550 tons (-24.4% y/y), the Netherlands – 240,030 tons (+1.6%), the United Kingdom – 246,310 tons (+220.1%), Lithuania – 151.56 thousand tons (0 thousand tons in December 2023), Belgium – 189.64 thousand tons (+138.7%).

Turkey ranks eighth in the world in terms of steel production. In 2024, Turkish steel enterprises increased steel production by 9.4% compared to 2023, to 36.89 million tons.