Chinese e-commerce giant Temu has restarted operations in Türkiye after briefly halting cross-border shipments earlier this month.
The pause followed the government’s decision to abolish simplified customs procedures for products valued under 30 euros.
Initially, Temu limited sales to items stocked in its local warehouses. Now, its Turkish subsidiary, WhaleCo Turkey Teknoloji, will handle import processes directly. Taxes will be collected at the point of purchase, while the company itself will oversee customs clearance, eliminating the need for customers to hire brokers and pay additional fees.
WhaleCo Turkey Teknoloji was established a year ago, but had remained largely inactive. Industry representatives note that Temu will now be subject to the same safety checks and regulatory obligations as other importers, ending the preferential treatment it previously enjoyed.
Under the new system, Temu will bear the responsibility for paying import duties, a shift expected to affect product pricing.
Fatih Balkan, president of the Association of E-Commerce Infrastructure Providers, explained that Temu’s Turkish entity will consolidate orders into containers, import them in bulk and then distribute domestically.
