Türkiye's crude steel production rose 8.1% on an annual basis to 19.8 million metric tons in the January-June period, according to a report on Saturday referring to the data from the Turkish Steel Producers Association (TÇÜD).

In June alone, crude steel output increased 14.7% from the same month last year to 3.3 million tons, information obtained by Anadolu Agency (AA) from TÇÜD showed.

Final steel product consumption increased 0.4% year-on-year in June to 3.1 million tons, while consumption in the January-June period rose 6.6% to 19.9 million tons.

Steel exports rise

Steel product exports also increased 28.4% by volume in June from a year earlier to 1.7 million tons, while their value climbed 29.7% to $1.2 billion.

In the first six months of the year, exports rose 2.5% by volume compared with the same period of 2025, reaching 7.8 million tons, while export value increased 1.3% to $5.3 billion.

Imports decline in June

At the same time, steel product imports fell 0.8% by volume in June from a year earlier to 1.8 million tons, although their value increased 3.7% to $1.2 billion.

In the January-June period, imports edged up 0.3% by volume year-on-year to 9.3 million tons, while their value declined 2.4% to $6.3 billion.

The ratio of exports to imports improved from 80% in the first half of last year to 83% in the same period this year.

7th largest steel producer

TÇÜD Secretary-General Veysel Yayan said Türkiye maintained its position as the world's seventh-largest crude steel producer, remaining ahead of Germany.

He noted that the decline seen during the first five months of the year was reversed by the strong performance in June, driven particularly by robust demand from the Middle East and South America.

According to Yayan, steel exports to the Middle East surged 80% in June to 212,600 tons, while exports to South America jumped 406% to 182,500 tons.

He added that the U.K., where exports rose 246% to 407,000 tons in the first six months, and South America, where exports increased 81% to 643,000 tons, stood out as the strongest markets.

In contrast, the European Union market remained weak. Exports of steel products to the bloc fell 22% in the first half of the year to 2.6 million tons, making the EU the only regional market where exports declined.

"In the coming period, the Turkish steel sector needs to create long-term and cost-effective financing models to achieve its goals of transforming its current production capacity into a higher value-added, technology-oriented and sustainable structure, and accelerating investments in energy efficiency, low-carbon production and technological modernization," Yayan said.