Türkiye Import & Export Toolkit
Türkiye sits at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. This hub covers LC cost in TRY/USD/EUR, EU-Türkiye Customs Union duty treatment, 20% KDV, TAREKS technical regulations and Incoterms best practice.
Free calculators for Türkiye trade
- · Ambarli (Istanbul area) - largest container gateway
- · Mersin (Eastern Mediterranean)
- · Izmir (Aliaga)
- · Kocaeli (Gebze/Gemlik industrial ports)
- · Iskenderun
- · Cars & car parts
- · Iron & steel
- · Machinery
- · Refined petroleum
- · Textiles & garments
- · Jewellery
- · Agricultural products (hazelnuts, dried fruit)
- · Crude petroleum & natural gas
- · Gold
- · Machinery
- · Iron & steel (semi-finished)
- · Cars
- · Broadcasting equipment
- · Plastics
Trade finance in Türkiye
- · Given TRY volatility (>50% annual depreciation in some recent years), the vast majority of Turkish trade LCs are denominated in USD (ACT/360) or EUR (ACT/360). TRY LCs are rare for cross-border trade.
- · Turkish banks (Ziraat, İş Bankası, Garanti BBVA, Akbank, Yapı Kredi) issue LCs at 0.15-0.30% per quarter for domestic issuance. Confirmation of Turkish bank risk by G7 banks has widened materially since 2018 - typically 0.40-1.20% per quarter depending on issuer and tenor.
- · The Turkish central bank (TCMB / CBRT) imposes rediscount credit facilities to subsidise export finance - export LCs can qualify for below-market TRY funding.
- · Türkiye is not on FATF grey/black list currently (removed June 2024) - reopening some correspondent banking capacity.
Customs & duty in Türkiye
- · Türkiye uses the 12-digit GTİP code, aligned to WCO HS at 6 digits, EU CN at 8, plus 4 national digits.
- · BILGE is the customs declaration system.
- · A.TR movement certificate: proves free-circulation status of industrial goods under the EU-Türkiye Customs Union - enables 0% duty in both directions.
- · TAREKS: mandatory conformity assessment platform for regulated products (electronics, toys, textiles, machinery) - similar to UAE SABER / Saudi SASO.
- · Customs value = CIF. Duty applied first, then ÖTV (if applicable), then 20% KDV on the combined base.
Incoterms 2020 practice in Türkiye
- · For EU-Türkiye trade under the Customs Union, DAP or DDP is common - the A.TR gives 0% duty and simplifies pricing.
- · For non-EU imports, CIF into Ambarli / Mersin is dominant. FCA is preferred for container cargo.
- · Given TRY volatility, ensure the LC's currency, price and exchange-adjustment clauses are unambiguous - most contracts fix in USD or EUR.
HS commodity guides for Türkiye
Classification, duty and worked landed-cost examples for the commodity families most active on Türkiye's trade lanes.
Commodities linked to Türkiye
Türkiye appears in the trade lanes for the commodities below. Each hub covers grades, specs, benchmark pricing and HS code references.
Türkiye's key trading partners
Frequently asked questions
Industrial goods (WCO Chapters 25-97, with exceptions) circulate duty-free between the EU and Türkiye under an A.TR certificate. Agricultural products, coal and steel run under separate preferential regimes. Non-EU third-country goods pay Türkiye's MFN tariff (aligned to the EU CET for industrial lines).
For cross-border trade, invoice in USD or EUR. TRY volatility (with year-on-year depreciation often exceeding 30%) makes TRY LCs commercially unviable for anything beyond very short tenor. Domestic Turkish trade routinely uses TRY.
The Turkish technical regulations electronic system. Regulated products (electronics, machinery, toys, personal protective equipment) need a TAREKS reference before customs clearance. Similar to the UAE's SABER and Saudi Arabia's SASO conformity regimes.
No. Türkiye was on the FATF grey list from 2021-June 2024 but has since been removed. Correspondent banking has partially normalised but enhanced due diligence practices from that period persist at many G7 banks.