Turkey's steel sector said default emissions values under the EU Carbon Border Mechanism do not accurately reflect Turkey's low-carbon production structure, calling for a reassessment of the methodology.
Yalcin Ertan, chairman of the Aegean Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Exporters Association, stressed that CBAM has become a key policy tool in an increasingly shaped global trading environment carbon.
Default values risk distorting competitiveness
Ertan noted that for Turkey's export-oriented steel industry, CBAM is not only an environmental mechanism, but also a strategic factor that directly affects competitiveness in the EU market.
Although the mechanism aims to prevent carbon leakage and support sustainable production, he stressed that calculation methodologies must reflect actual export production conditions.
EDF-based production structure is ignored
According to Ertan, approximately 70 percent of steel production in Turkey is carried out using electric arc furnaces, which significantly depends on scrap and results in significantly lower carbon emissions compared to blast furnace-based production. However, in cases where verified emissions data are not provided, default emission values are used. He argued that these default values appear to be based on higher emission production routes and do not reflect Turkey's actual carbon emission intensity. In some cases, Turkey's established values are reported to be higher than in regions where production is predominantly domain-based, creating a clear competitive advantage.
Ertan also highlighted the continued uncertainty regarding the accredited inspection bodies required under the CBAM. Although the EU requires verification of emissions data, the institutions authorized to carry out this process have not yet been clearly defined. This may limit companies' ability to access verification services in a timely manner, potentially leading to additional costs and operational problems.
Call for alignment with real-world data
The Turkish steel sector has called for emissions to be calculated based on verified plant-level data in accordance
