Scrap metal imports fell in Turkey

According to the latest data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), Turkey's total scrap metal imports declined slightly during 2014. During November, according to updated data, it dropped by almost 2.5 percent compared to the previous month. The import of ferrous scrap in the country during the month amounted to 1.53 million tons. TUIK previously reported that it imported 1.58 million tonnes of scrap in October.

The United States was the largest exporter of scrap metal to Turkey during the 2014 reporting period. The United States exported 478,631 tons of scrap to Turkey, nearly one third of Turkey's total imports in the month. The second largest supplier of scrap metal to Turkey was Russia, which exported 187,008 tons. The third largest supply of ferrous scrap was the United Kingdom, which shipped 145 788 tons of scrap metal to Turkey.

The total volume of imports of scrap metal by Turkey during the eleven months of 2014 amounted to 17.77 million tons, which is slightly lower compared to the same period a year earlier. During this period, imports of scrap metal fell by only 0.3 percent.

TUIK reports that preliminary results for the import of scrap metal in the country for the whole of 2014 will total 19.4 million tonnes. At the same time, the purchase prices for the supply of scrap metal throughout 2014 were not stable, showing sharp declines and rises.