Kardemir lowers steel section prices amid weak demand
Turkey's Kardemir has issued a lower price list for IPE-NPU and HEA-HEB steel sections. Mesteel attributes the cuts to sluggish steel demand in Turkey and international markets.
Mariam Al Mansoori
Lower prices for both section ranges
The new IPE-NPU (160-550 mm) range is USD 700-820 per ton EXW, down from the USD 750-900 per ton EXW that applied last week. HEA-HEB (120-500) sections are now priced at USD 745-875 per ton EXW, compared with the previous range of USD 825-955 per ton EXW.
Section exports lag broader steel shipments
Turkey's steel section exports declined even as its overall steel exports grew in January-July 2026. Section shipments totaled 974,000 metric tons, down 10.9% from a year earlier, while total steel exports reached 11.37 million metric tons, up 1.6%. SteelOrbis reported the Turkish Steel Exporters' Association (ÇİB) figures on August 7, 2026.
A March 2026 market report from IndexBox identifies Turkey as a significant net exporter of structural steel sections. Its traditional export markets include the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Europe, while construction is the main industry consuming structural sections.
Broader economic indicators compiled in an IndexBox report updated October 31, 2026, show a 29.9% year-over-year increase in Turkish basic metals producer prices in September 2026, based on TurkStat data. The same report cites World Bank figures showing that Turkey's fixed investment grew 7.0% in 2025.
Kardemir's operations and billet plans
Based in Karabuk, Turkey, Kardemir has annual production capacity of around 3.5 million tons, according to Mesteel. Its facilities make billets, blooms, rebar, wire rod and profiles.
Also known as Karabuk Demir Celik, the company began in 1938 under state ownership as Turkey's first integrated steel producer. It was privatized in 1995.
In a separate report dated October 13, 2026, Mesteel said Kardemir had announced plans for a fourth-quarter billet sales allocation of 347,000 tons, compared with 280,000 tons in the third quarter.
