TCUD: EU continues unfair trade

Approximately 50% of Turkish steel consumption being met by imports in recent months has prevented capacity utilisation from increasing significantly, despite an improvement in the market, says the Turkish Steel Producers’ Association (TCUD).

“The EU Commission has continued to restrict our steel exports,” says TCUD general secretary Veysel Yayan. “Following the quota implementation which is revised and tightened every six months, dumping investigation and countervailing duty investigation, in November, at the request of Eurofer, the EU commission decided to register imports to impose historical taxes.”

The European Commission continues to unilaterally implement the provisions of the ECSC Free Trade Agreement, in line with its own interests, and to prevent Turkish steel exports, Yayan says. Yet no action has been taken against the EU, he adds.

Turkey’s crude steel production increased by 19.4% on-year in October to 3.2 million tonnes, according to TCUD. Production rose 4.2% on-year in January-October to 29.1mt.

October finished steel consumption was 2.5mt, up 27.6% on-year. Ten-month consumption was up 16.2% to 24.4mt.

Exports of flat and long steel products only decreased in October by -1.6% to 1.5mt. January-October exports declined -10.5% to 13.3mt and -18% to $6.8 billion, Kallanish notes.

October imports increased 2.2% to 963,000t. January-October imports grew 8.2% to 10.4mt.

The ratio of exports to imports in January-October fell to 109:100 versus 127:100 last year due to the increase in imports and decrease in exports.

“The Turkish steel industry, which exports to more than 100 countries of the world, expects the EU’s trade-restricting attitude to be terminated as soon as possible and to increase mutual efforts to return to fair trade in accordance with the agreements between us,” TCUD concludes.