Steel Exporters' Association Provides Solutions to Problems

Steel Exporters' Association Addresses Industry Issues

The Turkish steel sector has faced challenging times since 2012, when it achieved record production and export figures, due to numerous problems stemming from both domestic and international sources. Seeking solutions to the sector's current situation, the Steel Exporters' Association brought together flat steel sector representatives, Economy and Customs Ministry officials, and TSE authorities at a "Sector Issues Workshop." Sector representatives, after identifying specific problems and proposing solutions for the flat steel segment, secured pledges of support from officials. At the "Sector Issues Workshop" organized by the Steel Exporters' Association, the problems facing the sector were addressed under four headings: preventing unfair competition in the flat steel sector, the Inward Processing Regime, entry of substandard, uncertified and second-grade products, and structural transformation. Speaking at the workshop, Steel Exporters' Association Vice Chairman of the Board Serdar Koçtürk provided assessments specific to flat steel, addressing the current state of Turkey's steel sector, sector developments and problems.

Noting that the flat steel sector in Turkey has grown compared to the overall steel sector, Serdar Koçtürk stated: "In the nine-month period of 2016, flat steel products accounted for 17 percent of our 12.3 million tons of exports. Accordingly, flat steel exports in the first nine months of 2016 reached 2.1 million tons, representing a 16 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year. The protective measures and investigations being implemented by the United States and the European Union against rival countries are expected to further increase our exports in the coming period," he said. Despite growth in exports, Serdar Koçtürk noted that Turkey's share in global sheet steel production remained at 10 million tons, or 1.5 percent. "Flat steel products are used in nearly every sector, from automotive to machinery, from white goods to defense industry, from shipbuilding to energy and electronics. The Turkish sheet steel industry needs to grow in parallel with these sectors and shift toward higher-value products where competition is lower. In this context, we will also be able to become more active in our export markets," he said.