Ekinciler is one the largest Turkish producers and exporters of long steel products such as steel billet and rebar used in construction to reinforce structures.
“We are searching for products which Turkey imports from other countries and for which we could have the ability to export as well,” Ekinci said.
Turkey is a key supplier of steel long products to the Middle East, North Africa and Europe but in the last few years increased steel production capacity within Turkey and in the Middle East and North Africa has reduced Turkish producers’ profits.
Some Turkish long steel products makers are now trying to diversify their production.
“We are thinking of investing in other products but for material other than flat products because there is a huge investment into flat products already in Turkey at the moment,” Ekinci added.
Some Turkish steel long products producers, such as Colakoglu, have invested in flat steel production in the last few years, in order to have the ability to switch from long steel to flat steel production when demand and prices for long products are not satisfactory.
Flat steel products are used mainly to make cars and white good such as washing machines while stainless steel ends up in anything from buildings and washing machines to cutlery.
