New EU quotas could result in losses of $3 billion for Turkey’s steel exports

The country’s steelmakers need to expand into markets outside Europe, according to ÇİB

The EU’s new safeguard measures on steel imports will have a significant impact on supplies of Turkish steel products to the bloc. This was stated by Uğur Dalbeler, chairman of the Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association (ÇİB), according to Demir Çelik Store.

He said that a reduction in European quotas could lead to a decrease in Turkish steel exports to the EU of approximately 3.5 million, resulting in the country’s steelmakers losing around $3 billion in annual export revenue.

Dalbeler emphasised that the industry needs to expand into markets outside Europe. In his view, turning to alternative markets will become even more important in the second half of the year.

Meanwhile, steel imports into Turkey rose by 13.9 per cent year-on-year last year, reaching 32.9 million tonnes. The expert believes that, under these circumstances, measures should be taken to maintain the competitiveness of the local steel industry.

The Chairman of ÇİB also pointed out that capacity utilisation rates in the steel sector had fallen to 55 per cent. In the current situation, it seems difficult for companies in the sector to achieve profitability in 2026 and 2027; the problem may persist until 2028.

Iris Сibre, a financial markets expert, writes in SteelOrbis, also highlighted the negative impact of new European quotas on Turkey’s steel exports to the EU. According to her, steel product shipments from Turkey to the bloc in 2018, despite previous restrictions, reached 7.5 million tonnes, whilst in 2025 they stood at 6 million tonnes, worth $4.26 billion.

It estimates that stricter import restrictions under the new regulation could lead to annual losses in steel exports from Turkey of approximately €2 billion.

As reported by GMK Center, Ukraine faces one of the largest reductions in tariff quotas. The country’s annual losses from steel exports could reach 1.3–1.6 million tonnes.