Türkiye retains customs advantage under new EU e-commerce rules

Özge Esen-ISTANBUL

Türkiye has preserved preferential customs treatment for qualifying low-value e-commerce shipments to the European Union, giving its online exporters a potential advantage under the bloc’s new import rules.

The EU on July 1 ended its customs duty exemption for e-commerce consignments worth 150 euros or less from third countries and introduced a temporary duty of 3 euros per item. The measure will remain in force until July 1, 2028.

Following talks between Ankara and the European Commission, goods in free circulation in Türkiye may continue to receive preferential treatment when sent to the EU with an A.TR Movement Certificate under the H1 customs declaration procedure, the Trade Ministry said.

The ministry has also introduced an electronic system that automatically generates A.TR documents using data from simplified customs declarations for qualifying parcels sent through authorized express cargo companies and the postal service.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said the system was designed to preserve the basic principles of the Türkiye-EU Customs Union in cross-border e-commerce.

Emre Ekmekçi, deputy chairman of the Electronic Commerce Operators Association, or ETİD, described the arrangement as an important opportunity for Türkiye.

Türkiye’s e-exports to the EU currently stand at around $2 billion and could reach $20 billion by making use of the Customs Union advantage, Ekmekçi estimated.

He said achieving that potential would require a broader e-export strategy and greater investment by online marketplaces in advertising and logistics infrastructure abroad.

Ekmekçi also called for a review of Türkiye’s domestic e-commerce legislation, arguing that the financial obligations imposed on marketplaces restrict the resources they can allocate to overseas expansion. Revising the rules could create new export opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises, he said.

Berke İçten, chairman of the Turkish Footwear Manufacturers Association, said the continued preferential treatment was particularly important for footwear companies, many of which have established warehouses in Eastern Europe.

The sector’s e-exports now amount to about one-quarter of its traditional exports, while the EU accounts for roughly half of conventional overseas sales, İçten said.

“With the new warehouses we establish in the region, we have the potential to double our e-exports to Europe within one or two years,” he said.