Steel imports to Turkey reached a record in 2025, while exports continued to grow
In 2025, exports of steel products from Turkey showed steady growth – by 12.5% compared to 2024, to 15.1 million tons. This is stated in a press release from the Turkish Steel Manufacturers Association (TCUD).
Last year, the value of exports increased by 4.3% YoY, to $10.2 billion. In December alone, shipments totaled 1.4 million tons (+5.5% YoY) in the amount of $898.9 million (+2.1% YoY), which indicates continued activity at the end of the year.
At the same time, imports of steel products also showed growth. In 2025, steel imports increased by 8.6% YoY, to a record 18.9 million tons, despite a slight decrease in cost – by 0.7%, to $13.1 billion. In December, imports decreased by 18.6% YoY in physical terms (1.5 million tons) and by 16.6% YoY in monetary terms ($1 billion), but this did not change the overall upward trend of the year.
Russia and China remained the key sources of supplies. Imports from Russia increased by 37.9% YoY, to 4.5 million tons, and from China – by 13.3%, to 4.2 million tons. The increased presence of these countries, along with government subsidies and dumping prices, was one of the factors contributing to the expansion of Turkey's trade deficit, which increased by 11.9% YoY to $92.9 billion in 2025.
Against this background, the export import coverage ratio in the steel sector improved from 73.9% in 2024 to 77.6% in 2025, but the industry still faces fierce competition in global markets. Additional pressure on external sales is created by EU regulatory initiatives, in particular the strengthening of quotas and the introduction of CBAM, which gradually changes the conditions of access to the European market and forces Turkish exporters to adapt to new requirements on the carbon footprint and traceability of products.
Domestic consumption of rolled metal reached 3.4 million tons in December, which is 3.8% more than in December 2024. In 2025, the indicator increased by 2.6% YoY, to 39.3 million tons.