Manufacturing Resilience and Sourcing Challenges
Turkey (Türkiye) remains the leading Steel Producer in Europe and ranks seventh globally. The Iron and Steel sector is a monumental component of the national Economy and a critical Supplier of Structural Steeland Steel Profiles for global Construction and Manufacturing industries.
In the first nine months of 2025, Turkey’s steel Exports demonstrated strong volume growth, rising by 12.1 percent to 11.4 million metric tons. However, the value increase was a modest 3.8 percent (reaching 7.7 billion dollars), illustrating the intense price competition and global market pressures.
- Trade Imbalance: The Turkish steel market faces a major challenge from surging imports, particularly from China and Russia, which threaten the efficient use of domestic Manufacturing capacity (currently at a low 63 percent). Total steel imports rose by 17.2 percent in the first nine months of 2025, driven by competitively priced foreign Suppliers.
- Key Export Markets: The European Union remains the largest Trade partner, accounting for 38 percent of Turkey’s total steel Exports, confirming the crucial Nearshoring role of Turkish producers for European industrial Supply Chains.
Green Transformation and Strategic Investment
The future of Turkey’s steel sector is inextricably linked to the Green Transformation strategy, spurred by the European Green Deal (EGD) and the looming threat of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
- Green Steel FDI: Turkish producers are making massive Investments in decarbonization. Companies like Hasçelik have inaugurated new green steel plants with Investment totaling 150 million euros, equipped with electric arc furnaces and focusing entirely on recycled raw materials. Türkiye’s national roadmap targets a 31 billion dollar Investment in “green” transformation by 2053.
- R&D and Modernization: Integrated steel producers are accelerating their Net Zero roadmaps, aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2030. This requires substantial capital Investment(Internal Link: Turkey Mobilizes $1B for Battery Storage & Solar) in process efficiency and technology, ensuring Turkish Suppliers remain compliant and competitive under new global Trade rules.
Economy and Logistics Context
The Turkish steel industry’s battle against excessive imports and low domestic capacity utilization highlights the complex pressures on the national Economy. Maintaining stability requires domestic demand to be met by local Manufacturing and for Turkey’s Exports to shift decisively toward higher value-added, green-certified Structural Steel and finished products.
Turkey’s established Logistics infrastructure, including its ports and rail networks, is essential for its steel Trade, enabling efficient Sourcing and rapid Exports to European Construction and heavy Manufacturingprojects (Internal Link: Turkish Machinery Exports Surge).
Next Steps for Global Buyers
For global Construction firms and industrial Sourcing managers, Turkey / Türkiye offers a high-volume, increasingly green Manufacturing base for Steel Products. Strategic purchasing should prioritize Suppliers actively investing in the decarbonization transition to mitigate future CBAM costs.
For expert guidance on Sourcing green-certified Structural Steel and Steel Profiles and to evaluate co-investment in Turkey’s vital Manufacturing sector, contact the experts at Burc Consulting.
