Turkey's May 2023 wire rod exports fell more than 62% from a year earlier
Turkey exported 39,533 tons of wire rod in May 2023, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK). Shipments rose 47% from April but remained more than 62% below their year-earlier level, with Israel the largest buyer.
Mariam Al Mansoori
Export destinations through May
Israel took 14,756 tons in May, a 41% decline from the same month in 2022. Canada and Romania were the next-largest destinations, receiving 4,563 tons and 4,552 tons, respectively. Other major buyers included Egypt with 3,798 tons, Spain with 3,618 tons and Kosovo with 3,252 tons.
For January through May 2023, Turkey shipped 195,466 tons of wire rod abroad, 60% less than in the corresponding period a year earlier. Israel led the five-month destination totals with 98,847 tons, followed by Australia at 18,109 tons and Romania at 16,234 tons.
The other leading markets over those five months were Spain, which received 6,568 tons; Egypt, 6,398 tons; Paraguay, 5,586 tons; Haiti, 5,060 tons; and Canada, 5,050 tons.
Mill disruptions and lower steel production
In its December 25, 2023, year-end review, SteelOrbis reported that the two massive earthquakes of February 6 had affected about 12 mills in the Iskenderun and Osmaniye regions. Those mills, all within 180 kilometers of the epicenter, together account for a third of Turkey's steel production. They suffered no material damage but temporarily stopped operating; stoppages and reduced operations lasted about two weeks.
First-half figures from the Turkish Steel Producers Association (TCUD), reported by Kallanish/EUROMETAL on August 3, 2023, put crude steel output at 15.9 million metric tons, down 16.3% year over year. Turkey fell to 10th place among steel-producing countries, compared with eighth place and output of 19 million metric tons in the first half of 2022. Over the same period, its wire rod imports increased 82.5%.
Full-year wire rod exports and steel trade
Later, preliminary TUIK figures published by SteelOrbis on February 9, 2024, put Turkey's wire rod exports for all of 2023 at 717,557 metric tons, a 38.4% annual decline. Export revenue fell 50.4% to $454.61 million.
Israel retained the top position for the full year, receiving 218,413 metric tons, down 21.8% from 2022. The next two destinations recorded increases: shipments to Romania rose 39.5% to 173,810 metric tons, while those to Australia grew 14.0% to 44,631 metric tons.
For steel overall, SteelOrbis' December 25 year-end review reported that Turkey's 2023 exports declined 31% to 10.4 million metric tons. Imports moved in the opposite direction, reaching 17.3 million metric tons, compared with 15.1 million metric tons in 2022.
