Arslan Küçükemre, chairman of the board of directors of Turkey’s Stainless Industrialists and Businesspeople Association (PASİD), has stated that one of the biggest problems for the Turkish stainless steel industry is the ongoing antidumping investigation into stainless steel imports from China and Indonesia and the increase in customs duty from eight percent to 12 percent for the given product. Stating that the antidumping investigation, which is expected to be concluded in August or September this year, will end the uncertainty in the industry, Mr. Küçükemre noted that, if there is a negative result, it may lead to more difficulties, affect many industries from kitchen utensils to white goods, from car parts to machinery manufacturing, and cause price increases as well as serious losses in employment and production.
Noting that stainless steel production is extremely important for Turkey, the PASID chairman emphasized that all conditions are in place for integrated stainless steel investment in the country, which ranks ninth in stainless steel consumption in the world, and that it is important to start investments in production facilities, which are expected to replace imports worth $2 billion, as soon as possible. However, he noted that the Turkish iron and steel industry, which has the highest potential to make this investment, is not very interested in stainless investment as it focuses on increasing capacity, reducing energy costs and additional investments to produce green steel.
Meanwhile, pointing out that Turkish producers are already exporting to the Turkic Republics and Middle Eastern countries and that Syria can create an important opportunity for the whole industry in stainless steel exports, Küçükemre said, “The Syrian market is a great opportunity in terms of all stainless steel products and for all producers who use stainless steel in their products. We should carry out very intensive marketing activities before other countries enter the market.”
Finally, emphasizing that high interest rates are the biggest obstacle to production and growth in the current economic conditions in Turkey, Küçükemre said, “The current interest rate levels negatively affect the appetite for production and investment. Industrialists prefer to wait instead of investing, which causes losses in production and employment. As industrialists, we expect financial support and solutions from the government in order to increase the investment appetite again.”