Turkey's crude steel output on rise in January

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkey's crude steel production surged 17.3 percent year-on-year to 3 million tons in January, according to a trade association on March 2.

The country's steel products exports showed a moderate rise of 0.6 percent to 1.9 million tons during the same period, the Turkish Steel Producers' Association (TCUD) said in a statement.

The country received $1.3 billion revenue from steel exports, falling 5.5 percent on an annual basis in January.

The volume of steel imports jumped 48.6 percent to 1.4 million tons during the same period. In terms of value, crude steel imports increased 17.7 percent year-on-year to $950 million.

Citing World Steel Association data, the group said global crude steel production hit 154 million tons in January, climbing 2.1 percent compared to same month in 2019.

Turkey was the 7th largest crude steel producer worldwide, it said, adding that the country posted the second highest rise (with 17.3 percent rise) after Iran in the month.

Crude steel is an unrefined metal used in the construction industry.