Leading subsectors in the nonferrous metals industry of Turkey are aluminium and copper industries. On the other hand, articles of base metals (hand tools, interchangable goods, locks padlocks and furniture), kitchenware products and radiators are also important export product group of the sector.
ALUMINIUM INDUSTRY
The aluminium industry which emerged in Turkey in early 1950s and has today, a history of over 5 decades during which period the installed capacity has remarkably grown to 60.000 tons in 2002 (the smelter capacity of Seydisehir). The production for processing of aluminum in private sector is 250.000 - 300.000 tpy.
Turkish aluminium industry consists of the Seydisehir primary smelter (only primary smelter, newly privatized Seydisehir Aluminyum), and private companies of extrusion mills, rolling mills, casting foundries and conductor producers. In Turkey, aluminium extrusion, flat products and casting products are mainly produced by the private sector. Besides Seydisehir plant, there are about 1000 SMEs operating in different sub fields of the aluminium industry. These firms produce aluminium products from ingots by casting, forming, rolling, forging and extrusion operations. They can also produce some alloyed products. As Seydisehir plant cannot satisfy the domestic demand fully, considerable amount of primary aluminium products have been imported.
Growth in the aluminium industry has been expecting to be fuelled by rapid economic expansion. In recent years a very intensive work has been performed in order to expand the Turkish export market for aluminium products and semi-products. The export value of aluminium products in 2004 increased by 31,6 % compared to 2003 and recorded as US$ 684.8 million, and the amount of exports had an increase by 19,1% and realized as 218 thousand tons.
Among Turkish aluminium products, Aluminium bars & profiles, flat products, folios, construction appliances and kitchenware are the most important export items.
The major markets of Turkish aluminium products are Germany, Italy , United Kingdom and Iraq.
COPPER INDUSTRY
The only blister copper producer in Turkey is Karadeniz Bakır İşletmeleri (KBİ), which has a capacity of 38.460 tons.The production of copper blister was realized as 33.000 tons in 2003 which was 32.500 tons in 2002. Besides KBİ, there are some firms producing electrolytic copper and other copper products.
The main exported items of copper sector are copper blister, bars & profiles, wires, strained wire & ropes).
In the exports of copper products, there has been a steady increase in recent years. Copper products exports realized as 127.1 thousand tons in 2004. Compared to 2003, exports of copper products increased by 60,9 % in value, reaching US$ 400,3m illion in 2004.
The exports of copper wires, the most important group of the total copper exports, were recorded as US$ 144.1million (%67,7 increase) in 2004. The second major product group in total exports of copper products is copper stranded ropes. In 2004, the exports of Copper Stranded Ropes were US$ 138,2million with an increase of 77,1% in value.
Italy, USA and Israel are the main markets of Turkish copper sector.
On the other hand, Stainless steel kitchenware and radiators are other important product groups in Turkish metal exports. Since the year 2000, a considerable progress in the exports of these sector has been recorded. This progress is the result of the extensive efforts of the sector players who increased their production volumes steadily and strive for perfection in the quality.
