Turkiye imported 157.5 thousand tons of pig iron from Ukraine in 2022

In December, Turkish steelmakers increased imports of Ukrainian iron by 28.4% y/y

In 2022, steel enterprises of Turkiye reduced the import of pig iron from Ukraine by 46.7%% compared to 2021 – to 157.55 thousand tons. This is evidenced by the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute, reports SteelOrbis.

In December 2022, Turkish steelmakers imported 9.4 thousand tons of pig iron from Ukraine, which is 28.4% more compared to the same month of 2021. At the same time, imports decreased by 38.2% compared to November last year.

The decrease in imports of Ukrainian-made pig iron is mainly related to the war in Ukraine and the blockade of Ukrainian seaports, which makes the traditional way of delivering products to customers impossible.

In total, in 2022, Turkiye imported 1.35 million tons of pig iron, which is 13.3% more than in 2021. In December, imports amounted to 73.89 thousand tons, which is 13.5% less month-on-month and by 16.1% – on an annual basis.

The main supplier of pig iron to Turkiye is Russia. In 2022, deliveries of Russian pig iron to Turkiye increased by 65.9% – up to 895.1 thousand tons. Brazil is in the second place with 251.24 thousand tons (+97.9%), and Ukraine is in the third place. In this period, the share of Ukraine in the total volume of pig iron imports to Turkiye was 11.7%, Brazil – 18.6%, and the Russian Federation – 66.3%.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Ukrainian steelmakers in 2022 reduced production of pig iron by 69.8% compared to 2021 – to 6.39 million tons. In December, 247 thousand tons of pig iron were produced, which is 85.7% less than in the same month of 2021.

Export of pig iron from Ukraine in December 2022 increased by 24.4% compared to November and decreased by 69.8% year-on-year – to 97.45 thousand tons. In 2022, Ukraine exported 1.32 million tons of pig iron. This is 59% less than in 2021.

In 2021, Turkiye increased imports of pig iron from Ukraine by 8.8% compared to 2020 – up to 295.5 thousand tons. Supplies from Ukraine accounted for 25% of the total volume of pig iron supplies.

Turkiye ranks seventh in the world in terms of steel production. According to World Steel, in 2021 the country increased its steel output by 13% compared to 2020 – up to 40.4 million tons.