CBAM & climate · 27 October 2026
Bolat: Turkish steel exports to EU under CBAM fell 1.7%
In the Trade Ministry’s 26 October announcement, Bolat shared January–September export figures and outlined priorities for supporting the green transition while limiting exporters’ cost burdens.
Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said Türkiye’s exports to the European Union of steel products covered by the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) fell 1.7% in January–September 2026. The Ministry of Trade’s announcement, dated 26 October, highlighted his aim of supporting the green transition while preventing disproportionate costs for exporters. He was speaking at Steel Networking Summits 2026. [Source](https://ticaret.gov.tr/haberler/ticaret-bakani-omer-bolat-steel-networking-summits-2026da-konustu)
Export figures reflect different product scopes
Bolat reported a 10% increase in Türkiye’s exports to non-EU countries over the same nine-month period. He also said exports to the EU across the broader iron and steel sector declined 6.7%. The announcement assigns the 1.7% decline to CBAM-covered steel products and the 6.7% decline to iron and steel more generally. These are therefore not presented as indicators covering identical product groups. Bolat also said EU decisions affecting steel directly influenced trade. [Source](https://ticaret.gov.tr/haberler/ticaret-bakani-omer-bolat-steel-networking-summits-2026da-konustu)
Official source: Ministry of Trade ↗Scrap-based capacity and the European market
According to the figures Bolat presented, Türkiye produced 38.1 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025, ranking seventh globally and first in Europe. Steel exports reached $17.1 billion, with 42.3% going to the EU. He also said 78% of the sector’s production capacity uses scrap-based electric arc furnace technology. He described this as an important characteristic of the industry; the announcement provided no corresponding quantified emissions reduction. [Source](https://ticaret.gov.tr/haberler/ticaret-bakani-omer-bolat-steel-networking-summits-2026da-konustu)
Official source: Ministry of Trade ↗Concerns over barriers to low-carbon steel trade
Bolat argued that unilateral trade restrictions negatively affect not only exporters but also industrial investors needing inputs and final consumers. He said barriers restrict the circulation of scrap-based and low-carbon steel, undermining green-transition objectives. Discussing emissions measurement, verification and the shift to low-carbon production, he identified avoiding additional trade barriers and disproportionate costs for exporters as a priority. These were the minister’s assessments of trade policy. [Source](https://ticaret.gov.tr/haberler/ticaret-bakani-omer-bolat-steel-networking-summits-2026da-konustu)
Official source: Ministry of Trade ↗Existing support, rather than a new rule
Bolat said the ministry works with exporters within the Green Deal Action Plan and climate-policy framework. He described existing Green Deal Adaptation Project support, through which companies obtain consultancy services for their transition. The announcement reports existing support and policy priorities; it does not announce a new application round, a regulatory proposal or a new legal obligation. The speech is therefore not presented here as a new legislative decision. [Source](https://ticaret.gov.tr/haberler/ticaret-bakani-omer-bolat-steel-networking-summits-2026da-konustu)
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