Turkey’s billet exports dropped by 51.8pc, while imports rose by 7.9pc in the first 11 months of 2020, according to statistical source SteelData.
Turkish producers exported 602,000mt of semis in January-November 2020 compared to 1.25mn mt in the same prior-year period. Billet shipments to Morocco rose by 15.6pc to 305,000mt over the period under review, but dropped by 11.1pc to 76,000mt to Tunisia, by 75.6pc to 51,000mt to Saudi Arabia, by 93.6pc to 15,000mt to Egypt, and by 87.8pc to 12,000mt to Ethiopia.
Turkish companies exported 70,000mt of billets to Peru, which was a new outlet in 2020.
Turkey’s imports of semis totaled 1.49mn mt in January-November 2020 versus 1.38mn mt in January-November 2019, according to SteelData. Billet supply from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus to Turkey increased by 10.8pc, 19pc, and 78.9pc to 949,000mt, 378,000mt, and 36,000mt, respectively.