The Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association (CIB) visited Tunisia with a trade delegation on May 22-24 with the aim to increase the trade volume between Turkey and North African countries and expand Turkish steel exporters’ presence in the region. Underlining that the association is accelerating international trade visits to reach the export figures recorded in 2022, Adnan Aslan, CIB chairman, stated that the goal is to “seek new export markets”.

Noting that Turkey’s steel exports by value in the first four months this year increased by 12 percent year on year, reaching approximately $5.2 billion, Mr. Aslan said that, although the country’s steel exports are believed to have started more strongly this year compared to 2023, the exports are 32 percent lower compared to the same period in 2022. Stating that the association is targeting 17 million mt of exports with a revenue of $16 billion in 2024, Aslan added, “We are targeting $32 billion in export revenues for 2028.”

Stressing that Turkey’s steel exports to Tunisia decreased by 42 percent in 2023, the CIB chairman said that, with the duty implemented in January 2024, exports to Tunisia decreased by approximately 34 percent in the first four months of this year. In addition, “We lost the competitiveness we had gained after the pandemic as a result of the exports of China, the Russia-Ukraine war, global tightening and increasing costs,” Aslan said.