SMM finds Turkey’s local aluminium industry chain unaffected by the catastrophic earthquake

Shanghai Metals Market reported, based on CCTV news and CCTV international news, that although the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey brought devastating effects, including 5,894 people killed in Turkey and 1,832 in Syria, it barely disrupted the local aluminium industry. Seydisehir, the only primary aluminium smelter in Turkey, owned by Eti Aluminium, located nearly 500 kilometres away from the source of the earthquake, was unaffected. The smelter has an annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes of aluminium and 260,000 tonnes of alumina.

On February 7 local time, the World Health Organization stated that as many as 23 million people were affected by the devastating earthquake.

However, like Seydisehir, many downstream aluminium processing plants in Istanbul, 1400 kilometres away from the epicentre of the earthquake, were also unaffected, as they began to take measures to immune themselves from the quake.

According to SMM statistics, China exported 170,000 tonnes of aluminium and related products to Turkey in 2022, of which most were primary aluminium and aluminium semis, including 77,000 tonnes of aluminium plate, sheet, strip and foil, 3,500 tonnes of aluminium extrusions, and 21,300 tonnes of other aluminium semis.

On the whole, the report indicated earthquake had a little impact on the local aluminium industry for the time being. However, SMM will keep a close eye on any possible changes in the industry if caused by the calamity.