Turkey Is Europe's Fastest Growing Steel Producing Nation

摘要

Turkey has a lengthy track record of sustained growth in steel output. The country's first integrated works, Karabuk Demir Celik, started production in 1937 and the flat products works Eregli Demir Celik (known as Erdemir) in 1965. But it was in the mid 1980's that steel making started to take off and since 1980 it has grown almost five-fold largely thanks to the rise of the mini-mill sector. In recent years steel production rates in Turkey have risen faster than in any other European nation. The country's crude steel output rose by about 60 percent between 1993 and 2003. In the latest issue of our publication Global Iron and Steel Production, we forecast a further rise to 23.5 million tonnes in 2008. This will make Turkey, Europe's third largest steel-producing country: only Germany and Italy will supply more. Much of the growth to date has been export-led. Turkey has become a major player in the global steel market and is in the top ten exporting countries. Foreign sales stumbled in the late 1990's as a result of the economic crisis in Asia - one of Turkey's principal markets - but they bounced back again in the early 2000's. Annual external sales now stand at around 11 million tonnes.