Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Sector Target

Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Sector Sets Targets Yalçın Ertan, Chairman of the Aegean Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Exporters Association, stated that they achieved a 15% increase in exports compared to 2021, and emphasized that they are the only association under the EIB umbrella to surpass the USD 2 billion export threshold. Speaking at the ordinary general assembly meeting held at the Aegean Exporters Associations, Chairman Ertan shared that they have made "Green Deal and Sustainability" the focal point of their strategy—topics that have recently gained prominence on the global agenda and hold great importance for the ferrous and non-ferrous metals sectors in enhancing the competitiveness of member exporting companies. Summarizing the work they have conducted on the Green Deal and Sustainability, Ertan said: "We launched a URGE project supported by our Ministry of Commerce with 15 companies from our sector. Through our project, we aim to support our participating companies with activities such as training, consultancy, foreign delegations and trade fair organization. At the beginning of April, we visited the Green Steel World fair held in Germany, giving us the opportunity to closely observe recent developments in clean production and decarbonization, which form the foundation of our strategy. We conducted an Industry 4.0 inspection visit to Germany to ensure our sector is informed about developments in Industry 4.0 and beyond, to observe on-site best practice examples, to see the work being done on green production and sustainability, and to examine how these practices can be adapted to our country. We plan to make these visits a routine each year to closely follow current developments," he said. Stating "We became a member of the globally recognized Responsible Steel initiative to promote sustainability across companies in the steel, iron and non-ferrous metals sectors and to support transition to sustainable production," Ertan continued: "We aim to gather with stakeholders from the same sector to discuss how more responsible production can be achieved and to certify companies engaged in clean production."

Two sectoral trade missions planned for 2023

Sharing with general assembly members that they continue working to conduct trade mission programs in order to contribute to the Aegean Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Exporters Association's exports, discover new markets and expand their export network, Chairman Ertan announced that they will organize a Trade Mission to Italy in May and to distant countries such as Morocco and Chile in the second half of 2023.