In September this year, Turkey's total hot rolled coil (HRC) exports increased by 9.47 percent year on year to 42,205 metric tons, while decreasing by 22.72 percent compared to the previous month, according to the data provided by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK). These exports had a value of $24.48 million, decreasing by 5.47 percent year on year and by 18.20 percent compared to August. On the other hand, in January-September this year, Turkey's HRC export volume rose by 1.42 percent year on year to 1.41 million mt.
In the first nine months of this year, Turkey's HRC exports to Italy rose almost twofold, while the country's HRC exports to Portugal increased sixfold, both compared to the corresponding period of 2012. In the meantime, Turkey's HRC exports to Spain tripled on year-on-year basis in January-September this year.
Turkey's top 10 HRC export destinations in January-September of the current year are as follows:
| Country | Amount (mt) | |||
| Jan-Sept.2013 | Jan-Sept.2012 | Sept. 2013 | Sept. 2012 | |
| Italy | 408.389 | 137.430 | 5.663 | 2.618 |
| Portugal | 174.266 | 26.185 | 10.119 | - |
| Spain | 90.059 | 21.032 | 5.478 | - |
| Thailand | 66.115 | - | - | - |
| Romania | 53.429 | 57.477 | 2.835 | 9.587 |
| USA | 38.488 | 9.566 | - | - |
| Greece | 25.469 | 16.321 | 4.537 | 7.026 |
| Libya | 24.808 | 9.951 | 3.605 | 841 |
| Belgium | 22.375 | 25.493 | - | 1.952 |
| UK | 21.951 | 26.730 | - | - |
As SteelOrbis previously reported, the shutdown of major Italian flat steel producer Ilva's Taranto facility in July last year for environmental pollution reasons and the seizure of the facility's slab and steel stocks have been effective in the significant rise in Turkey's HRC export volume to southern Europe, as Ilva's steel production has not returned to normal levels yet. In addition, HRC orders from Italy to Turkey given in the last quarter of 2012 were delivered at the beginning of this year, thereby boosting the figure for Turkish HRC exports to Italy in the current year.