Turkey’s Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said Turkish steel producers made 38.1 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025, ranking the country seventh globally and first in Europe. He made the remarks at the Steel Networking Summits 2026, an event organised with support from the Çelik İhracatçıları Birliği, which drew more than 400 participants from over 80 countries.
Bolat also cited a separate crude steel figure of 27.5 million tonnes, and said Turkey imported 18.8 million tonnes of steel scrap. About 78 percent of Turkish production capacity relies on scrap-based electric arc furnace technology, he said. Global steel trade reached 615 billion dollars in 2025, while Turkish steel exports totalled 17.1 billion dollars, with 42.3 percent of that going to the European Union.
EU curbs bite
Bolat said the European Union tightened its steel import quotas by 50 percent from 1 July 2026. He said Turkish exports of steel products covered by the EU’s carbon border mechanism fell 1.7 percent between January and September 2026, even as such exports to non-EU markets rose 10 percent over the same period. Turkish iron and steel exports to the EU separately declined 6.7 percent, he said.
Bolat said unilateral restrictions imposed without adequate consultation and negotiation with trade partners do not offer a lasting solution and hinder the efficient circulation of scrap-based, low-carbon steel. He said the EU remains Turkey’s largest trade partner, while Turkey ranks as the EU’s fifth largest.
Carbon rules and trade ties
The EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism began applying at the start of 2026, according to Bolat. He said Turkey’s priority is to support the green transformation while ensuring exporters do not face disproportionate costs and additional trade barriers.
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Bolat put annual Türkiye-EU trade volume at 233 billion dollars, or 204 billion euros, and said trade between the two over the last five years exceeded 900 billion euros.
