A severe explosion at the Habas steel plant in Turkey’s western Izmir province on November 9, 2026, killed at least 16 people and injured 13. The plant suffered serious damage and is expected to remain shut for an extended period, raising questions about scrap imports and long steel supply.

A preliminary investigation indicates that the explosion occurred after a crane broke and fell into an electric arc furnace. The expected duration of the shutdown and its effect on production will be important to the scale of any market disruption.

Potential effects on scrap and long steel

Habas is a major Turkish electric arc furnace steelmaker and scrap importer, producing long products including rebar. If the damaged plant remains idle, its scrap purchasing needs could fall. The effect on Turkey’s overall import demand would depend in part on the length of the outage and purchasing by other steelmakers.

On the supply side, a prolonged interruption could reduce the availability of Habas long products for export. The consequences for regional scrap and rebar markets will depend on how much production is affected, whether other suppliers can fill the gap and how customers adjust their orders. The duration of repairs and any updates on production and shipments will be central to assessing the longer-term impact.