IDDMIB: Prices for export units in Turkish metallurgy reached a record high in January 2026

The Istanbul Association of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metal Exporters (IDDMIB) has published the results of the Turkish metallurgical industry export index TR-METALENDEKS for January 2026. According to the index, the metallurgical industry entered 2026 with a sharp decline in volume, but a historical peak in prices. In January, the price per export unit reached $5.32/kg, the highest level in the index's history, while the export volume index fell 11.3 percent month-on-month and 10.7 percent year-on-year to 111.8 points, the lowest level in the last 22 months.

Exports in physical terms showed a similar picture. Exports, which totaled 231,246 tons in December 2025, decreased by 11.2 percent month-on-month to 205,262 tons in January.

Unit price at historical peak

The price per export unit, which has been in an upward trend for the last four months due to supply shortages, rose to $5.32/kg in January, which is the highest level in the history of TR-METALENDEKS. In December last year, the unit price was $4.88/kg.

The IDDMIB report stated that the main reason for the price increase was insufficient supply, while weak global growth expectations for the period 2026-29 suggest that prices may enter a stable trend in the long term.

Cost index supported by rising prices

Despite the sharp decline in volume, the decline in export earnings remained limited. In January of this year, exports of the metallurgical industry amounted to $ 1.91 billion, having decreased