Turkey graphite electrode market is segmented by: grade (regular power RP, high power HP, and ultra high power UHP), diameter (small up to 400 mm, medium 450-550 mm, and large 600 mm and above), raw material route (needle coke-based and petroleum coke-based), and application (EAF scrap-based steel, ladle furnace and refining in blast furnace mills, silicon, ferroalloy and other submerged-arc furnaces, and other specialty non-steel).

The Turkey graphite electrode market is estimated at USD 178 million in 2026 (USD 171 million in 2025) and is projected to reach USD 266 million by 2036, registering a compound annual growth rate of approximately 4.1%. Turkey is the world’s seventh-largest steel producer and the largest in Europe, with 38.1 million tonnes of crude steel in 2025, and its steel industry is built almost entirely around the electric arc furnace. It has no large-scale graphite electrode industry of its own, so every tonne consumed by its mills has to be imported, which makes the country one of the most import-reliant EAF steel markets in the world.
Steelmaking is recovering. Crude steel output rose 8.1% to 19.8 million tonnes in the first half of 2026 and 7.9% to 23.2 million tonnes in January–July, helped by a 14.7% jump in June on stronger demand from the Middle East and South America. Even so, the sector used only 63.9% of its 61.9 million tonne capacity, so there is large spare capacity in electric furnaces that can return to full production quickly. Indicatively, at the 1.5–2 kg of electrode per tonne of steel typical of EAF practice, current output implies annual demand of roughly 40,000–55,000 tonnes, against an estimated 2025 sales volume of 56,215 tonnes, with more upside as utilisation rises.
Turkish steelmakers sell into one of the most contested export environments in the industry, and they buy electrodes at a time of price increases and shifting trade flows. How they secure supply, which origins they trust and how they protect margins as Europe tightens access will determine how much electrode demand converts into actual consumption. This report assesses Turkish graphite electrode consumption, imports and the supplier landscape to 2036 for suppliers and steel groups planning supply, pricing and investment.
 

Turkey Graphite Electrode Market Growth Drivers
Scrap-based EAF steelmaking at scale. Turkey imported about 18.8 million tonnes of scrap in 2025, more than any other country, and imports rose a further 4.4% to 11.3 million tonnes in January–July 2026 with the United States as the largest supplier. Cheap seaborne scrap keeps a deep base of electric furnaces in constant operation.
Capacity headroom. With utilisation below 64%, a modest revival in construction or exports moves furnaces from part-time to continuous melting, lifting electrode consumption faster than steel tonnage. Any step towards the government and industry aim of directing more consumption to domestic supply would add to this.
Export shift to new destinations. Exports of rebar, wire rod and other long products went to the Middle East and South America at sharply higher volumes in June, and semi-finished exports rose almost 88% in the first half. Mills are using electric furnaces to follow demand wherever it appears, which supports steady electrode buying.
Modern, larger furnaces. Tosyalı Holding runs a flat steel complex at İskenderun using advanced EAF technology that can also melt imported hot briquetted iron, and Çolakoğlu runs a large EAF at Gebze. Bigger, higher-powered furnaces shift purchases towards UHP electrodes in large diameters.
Product upgrading. Turkish producers are moving beyond rebar into flat products, special bars and heavy sections, which require longer, higher-quality melting and refining, and therefore more electrode consumption per tonne.
Reconstruction and domestic demand. Domestic steel consumption of 3.1 million tonnes in June 2026 gives mills a base market that does not depend on export quotas, and reconstruction and infrastructure programmes support long product demand.
Policy, Trade and Cost Factors Shaping the Turkey Graphite Electrode Industry
Tighter EU market access. Turkey’s annual country quota under the new European regime is about 2.7 million tonnes, roughly 39% lower than before, and Turkish applications exceeded the first-quarter quota by about 438,000 tonnes within weeks of launch. Quota allocations for wire rod and hollow sections were cut most sharply. Shipments above quota face a 50% duty, so mills that lose European volume must be ready to sell elsewhere.
Carbon costs. Tosyalı Holding’s chairman has put the carbon border mechanism at roughly €60 per tonne on steel exports to the EU. Turkish EAF steel is cleaner than blast furnace steel but carries a higher footprint than European EAF output, so carbon cost is pushing mills towards cleaner power, higher scrap quality and more efficient melting.
Import dependence and currency exposure. Electrodes are priced in dollars, while many Turkish mills earn part of their revenue in lira or euros, so exchange rates and global electrode price increases together affect margins. Buyers rely on distributors and direct imports, and a large proportion are sourced from Asia.
Scrap spread. Turkish mill margins depend on the gap between imported scrap and finished steel prices, which makes electrode cost a smaller but more controllable lever than raw material cost.
Open-market status. As US, Japanese and Brazilian trade actions close off other markets, Turkey could attract diverted exports of Chinese and Indian electrodes, and that would give Turkish buyers bargaining power if no equivalent measures are introduced here.
Key Turkey Graphite Electrode Market Trends and Insights
Supply security is overtaking price as the buying criterion
With most electrode supply coming from distant plants, Turkish mills are lengthening supply agreements and holding more stock, and they favour suppliers that can guarantee delivery during freight disruption and price increases.
Origin diversification is becoming a procurement policy
Customs shipment records point to China and India as leading origins for Turkish electrode imports, with smaller volumes from Europe and Russia. Steelmakers are now qualifying additional suppliers so that a trade case or export curb in one country does not stop furnaces.
Export diversion is shaping how mills use their furnaces
Production growth is coming despite a weaker EU outlook, driven by Middle East and South American demand and by growing semi-finished sales. These products are melted in electric furnaces, so electrode consumption can hold up even when finished steel exports to Europe soften.
Scrap and electricity set the pace of furnace use
Electrode demand follows how many hours furnaces run, and furnace hours follow the scrap price and the cost of power. Turkish mills pause when margins are thin, which makes electrode demand more cyclical than steel capacity alone suggests.
Consolidation of buyers raises technical standards
Larger steel groups are investing in high-power furnaces and refining equipment, and are asking suppliers for consistency, technical service and low breakage rates. The leading electrode suppliers are competing on service quality as well as price.
Turkey Graphite Electrode Market Segment-wise Analysis
By Grade and Diameter
UHP and SHP electrodes in diameters of 500 mm to 700 mm serve the large furnaces of flat and long product mills, while RP and HP grades serve smaller foundry and mini-mill furnaces and ladle refining. Price-sensitive mills buy a higher proportion of HP and mid-range diameters, while the largest groups prefer UHP for productivity.
By Application
Scrap-based EAF melting for rebar, wire rod and merchant bars is the core of demand. HBI- and DRI-assisted melting is growing at advanced mills and uses electrodes at a higher rate per tonne. Ladle furnaces at integrated and flat steel mills add a further stream, while alloy and special steel production and foundries form smaller but quality-driven segments.
By Sales Channel and Origin
Large groups import directly under annual or multi-year agreements, while mid-size and small mills buy through local distributors and traders, with spot buying used to cover shortfalls. Origin, delivery time and port of discharge are all part of the buying decision, with major Turkish ports at Aliağa, Gebze and İskenderun serving the main steelmaking regions.
By Region
The Marmara region around Kocaeli and Istanbul is the largest consumption hub. The Aegean coast near İzmir and Aliağa holds a dense cluster of scrap-based EAF mills, the Mediterranean coast around İskenderun hosts large flat and long steel complexes, and Central Anatolia and the Black Sea region have a mix of EAF and integrated mills.
Turkey Graphite Electrode Market Competitive Landscape
Without domestic producers, the market is a contest among international suppliers. Indian and Chinese manufacturers supply a large share of volume on price and availability, while European, Japanese and American producers are present in premium UHP grades. Local distributors and traders give smaller mills access to stock and credit, and their role grows when prices rise.
On the demand side the buyers matter as much as the sellers. Groups such as Çolakoğlu, Tosyalı Holding and Habaş set technical standards, negotiate volume and can switch origins when trade conditions change. Suppliers that offer local stock, technical support and flexible payment terms are best placed to defend share.
Over the forecast period, market share is likely to shift towards suppliers that hold duty-free access to other markets, can document origin and quality, and maintain inventory in or near Turkey. Mills that diversify suppliers early will be least exposed when global supply tightens.
Turkey Graphite Electrode Market Segmentation
Consumption, imports and re-exports from 2026 to 2036 are segmented as follows.
By Grade
•    Regular power (RP)
•    High power (HP)
•    Super high power (SHP)
•    Ultra high power (UHP)
By Diameter
•    Small (up to ~400 mm)
•    Medium (~450–550 mm)
•    Large (600 mm and above)
By Component
•    Electrodes
•    Nipples and pins
By Application
•    EAF scrap-based carbon steel
•    EAF with HBI/DRI charge
•    EAF alloy, special and stainless steel
•    Ladle furnace and refining
•    Foundries and other furnaces
By Origin
•    Imports from Asia
•    Imports from Europe
•    Imports from other regions
•    Re-exports and regional redistribution
By End Steel Product
•    Rebar and wire rod
•    Merchant bars and sections
•    Flat products
•    Special and alloy steel
By Sales Channel
•    Direct import contracts
•    Distributors and traders
•    Spot purchases
By Region
•    Marmara
•    Aegean
•    Mediterranean
•    Central Anatolia
•    Black Sea
Key Graphite Electrode Suppliers and Steel Buyers Covered
International suppliers and leading Turkish steelmakers shaping demand and pricing include, but are not limited to:
•    HEG Limited
•    Graphite India Limited
•    Fangda Carbon New Material (China)
•    GrafTech International
•    Resonac Holdings
•    Tokai Carbon
•    Habaş Group
•    Çolakoğlu Metalurji
•    Tosyalı Holding
•    Other graphite electrode producers, needle coke suppliers, importers and distributors serving Turkey