Turkish flat steel exports to the EU are approaching effective closure for the remainder of the first quarter, with most Q1 volumes already tied up in awaiting allocation.
Pipe product quotas were meanwhile effectively used up within the first working days of the year, Kallanish notes.
By contrast, long products and stainless steel still retain some trading opportunities, according to EU customs portal data.
More than 312,000 tonnes of hot-rolled sheet and strip are currently awaiting allocation, leaving just 81,127 tonnes available, equivalent to 21% of the 393,978t quarterly quota for Türkiye’s largest flat steel category.
Cold-rolled sheet and coated flat products are even tighter, with availability limited to 7% for CR sheet, 9% for metallic-coated sheet and 6% for organic-coated sheet.
Tin mill products are already heavily oversubscribed, with bookings exceeding the quarterly quota by nearly 4,000t.
A similar situation is evident for Turkish pipes and tubes, with gas pipes, hollow sections and large welded tubes all exceeding their quarterly allocations and showing negative availability.
By contrast, long products retain greater availability, with merchant bars and light sections showing 66% quota availability, angles and sections 59%, rebar 40% and wire rod 32%.
Stainless cold-rolled sheet and strip stand out as largely untouched, with 96% of the quarterly quota still available, while railway material remains almost fully open at 99%.
| Product | TRQ volume | Avaliable balance | Awaiting allocation | Avaliable TRQ tonnes | Available TRQ % |
| HR sheets, strips | 393,978 | 393,978 | 312,851 | 81,127 | 21 |
| CR sheets | 43,033 | 43,033 | 39,995 | 3,039 | 7 |
| Metallic coated sheets | 116,832 | 116,832 | 106,183 | 10,649 | 9 |
| Organic coated sheets | 15,559 | 15,559 | 14,669 | 890 | 6 |
| Tin mill products | 7,347 | 7,347 | 11,318 | -3,970 | -54 |
| Stainless CR sheets, strips | 20,620 | 20,620 | 722 | 19,898 | 96 |
| Merchant bars, light section | 104,916 | 104,916 | 35,841 | 69,075 | 66 |
| Rebars | 93,455 | 93,455 | 56,518 | 36,937 | 40 |
| Wire rod | 97,074 | 97,074 | 66,418 | 30,657 | 32 |
| Angles, shapes, sections | 22,395 | 22,395 | 9,251 | 13,143 | 59 |
| Railway material | 1,541 | 1,541 | 23 | 1,518 | 99 |
| Gas pipes | 48,939 | 48,939 | 54,716 | -5,778 | -12 |
| Hollow sections | 83,110 | 83,110 | 111,529 | -28,419 | -34 |
| Large welded tubes | 14,782 | 14,782 | 19,553 | -4,771 | -32 |
| Other welded Pipes | 37,698 | 37,698 | 21,916 | 15,782 | 42 |
Source: EU TARIC, as of 6 January. Complied by Kallanish
Author: Elina Virchenko
