International Steel Mills
Turkish Steelmaker Considers U.S. Expansion
Written by Sandy Williams
March 3, 2018
Turkish steel producer Borusan Holding is considering expanding its steel pipe plant near Houston. CEO Agah Ugur made the announcement on Friday following the proposal by President Trump to increase tariffs to 25 percent on steel imports.
“The U.S. tariff decision on steel imports is important for Borusan…. We are considering expanding our production facility there, depending on the details of the U.S. tariffs,” said Ugur.
Ugar said that although a Section 232 tariff could disrupt steel imports, it was unlikely to have much impact on low-cost Turkish steel.
The Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association noted that with prices at $600 per ton versus U.S. steel at $850 per ton, a 25 percent tariff would only increase Turkish steel to $750 per ton.
“We match the prices of U.S. producers even with the additional tariff,” said TSEA Chairman Namik Ekinci said. “So there seems to be no disadvantage.”
Turkey is the sixth-largest exporter of steel to the United States with a 5.6 percent share of American steel imports.
The Borusan Mannesmann location in Baytown, Texas, 30 miles east of Houston, began operation in 2014 and has a capacity of 300,000 tons per year. The company produces OCTG and ERW line pipe.
Sandy Williams
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