Turkish long steel export prices stable, domestic values improve

Turkish export prices for steel rebar and wire rod have remained stable over the past week despite limited demand, while domestic prices have inched upward on a weaker Turkish lira, market sources said on Thursday August 24

The country’s steelmakers were offering rebar for export at $570-590 per tonne FOB on an actual weight basis, while bids for such material were ranging between $555 and $560 per tonne.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), export, fob main port Turkey, was unchanged week on week at $560-570 per tonne on Thursday.

Meanwhile, wire rod export prices were also steady from last week.

The weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality), export, fob main port Turkey, was $600-610 per tonne on August 24.

The recent upturn in scrap costs pushed up domestic long steel prices

“The recent upturn in scrap costs pushed up domestic long steel prices,” the chief executive officer of a major steel mill said. “However, demand in the export markets is still sluggish. Half of the rebar demand from last year is missing in the export markets, bringing the total loss in the rebar market to 30%. Wire rod is in an even worse situation. So the market will keep moving sideways.”

Domestic

The domestic rebar and wire rod prices have increased over the past week on the effects of the weakening lira.

The Turkish currency was trading at 27.215 lira to $1 on August 24, compared with 27.073 lira to $1 on August 17, according to Oanda.com.

Turkish mills mostly buy raw materials in US dollars before selling finished steel products to the domestic market in the local currency, so a weaker lira typically prompts an increase in steel prices.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, exw Turkey, was 19,200-19,700 lira ($705-724) per tonne on Thursday, up from 18,800-19,000 lira per tonne a week earlier, including 20% VAT.

The weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh quality), domestic, exw Turkey, was 20,000-21,000 lira per tonne on the same day, up from the 19,000-20,000 lira per tonne of last week.

What to read next
The iron ore market in 2026 shows fragile recovery driven by rising freight costs rather than demand growth. This dynamic challenges pricing signals and margin management for miners and processors.
JSW Steel USA’s production of its first fully degassed 12-inch slab at its mill in Mingo Junction, Ohio, could reduce the company’s reliance on imported slab, according to information obtained by Fastmarkets, raising questions about future demand for Brazilian exports at a time when the global slab market is already facing weaker demand and increasing competition.
Latin America's apparent steel consumption is expected to remain broadly stalled in 2026 before recovering more meaningfully in 2027, but the region's steel industry continues to face mounting pressure from rising imports and historically weak production levels, according to Latin American steel association Alacero.
As Mexico seeks to strengthen domestic manufacturing supply chains and reduce its reliance on imported steel products, special bar quality (SBQ) steel has emerged as one of the segments offering the greatest growth potential for local producers, according to TYASA’s three chief executive officers, whom Fastmarkets sat down with in an exclusive interview to discuss the company’s new SBQ rolling mill.
US trade union United Auto Workers and the Dauch Corporation, formerly known as American Axle, reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday June 10 that could restore the loss in demand for automotive steel resulting from a workers’ strike.
Lack of standardisation, certifications and market practises is creating growing uncertainty across green steel markets, with implications for pricing, procurement and credibility.