According to the Gazprombank Center for Economic Forecasting, Russia's steel exports in 2025 play the role of a buffer, preventing production declines in the context of weak domestic demand for a long time.
The report said that Russia's iron exports increased by 6% compared to the previous year, semi-finished steel products increased by 20% and finished rolled steel products increased by 30% in 2025.
At the same time, total steel exports (finished rolled steel products and semi-finished products) in 2025 reached nearly 24 million tons, exceeding the transition level of 2022 and approaching the record level of 2021" - analysts noted.
Experts say Turkey is still the largest importer of Russian metal products. This is driven by short shipping routes, supply restrictions to the European Union and price reductions.
In 2025, exports of Russian black metallurgical products to Turkey increased by 42% compared to the previous year, reaching 3.3 billion USD.
The importance of supply from Russia to the Turkish market is reflected in Russia's import market share in Turkey's total import turnover in 2025: 78% for cast iron bars (66% in 2024), 52% for steel billets (42% in 2024) and 44% for steel bars (12% in 2024).
