Foreign Trade

• Export Regime in Turkey
• Export Documents
• Import Regime in Turkey
• Import Documents

Export Regime in Turkey

Export Documents

• Bill of lading
• Certificate of origin
• Commercial invoice
• Customs export declaration
• Packing list
• Preferential certificate
• Technical standard/health certificate

Import Regime in Turkey

Import Documents

• Bill of lading
• Cargo release order
• Certificate of origin
• Commercial invoice
• Customs import declaration
• Import license
• Technical standard/health certificate
• Terminal handling receipts

The Import Regime of 2008, reflecting both Turkey's international rights and obligations and the country's economic needs, has been prepared by taking into account the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Customs Union Agreement between Turkey and the European Union, the free trade agreements signed with various countries, the preferential treatments granted by Turkey to the least developed countries and some developing countries within the framework of generalized system of preferences and also the specific needs and requirements of the agricultural and industrial sectors .

Turkey maintains a transparent and open trade regime. The clarity of the Import Regime is ensured by indicating the rates of the customs duties separately for countries and country groups and the products are classified under six lists. Namely;

· Agricultural products (List: I )
· Industrial products (List: II )
· Processed agricultural products (List: III )
· Fish and fishery products (List: IV )
· Suspension list (List: V )
· List of goods used in civil aircraft eligible to relief from customs duties (List: VI )

In addition, the changes made by the Ministry of Customs and Trade on the tariff nomenclature and/or descriptions of the items for the year 2005 are taken into consideration and related amendments and arrangements are made in all the lists and communiqués annexed to the Import Regime.

The Import Regime is published in the Official Journal, dated 31 December 2007 and No: 26743  bis  came into force as of 1 January 2008.

The main features of the 2008 Import Regime Decree can be summarized as follows:

Amendments in Agricultural, Processed Agricultural and Fish-Fishery Products:

Turkey has concluded various free trade agreements and the preferential treatments accorded to these countries in agricultural , processed agricultural and fishery products are reflected to the annexed lists of the Import Regime Decree.

Customs duty rates on agricultural products in List : I and on fish and fishery products in List:IV, has been rearranged by taking into consideration the demands of the sectors, views of the relevant institutions and organizations and Turkey's commitments arising from the international agreements .

The customs duty rates applied on the industrial components of the processed agricultural products which are indicated in List III are aligned to the EU's common customs tariff rates.

Amendments in Industrial Products:

Regarding the provisions of the Decision No:1/95 on the EU-Turkey Customs Union, Turkey has to apply simultaneously the EU common external tariff (CET) for most imports of industrial products and for the industrial component of processed agricultural products imported from the third countries. In this context, tariff reductions of the EU"s towards the third countries has been reflected by Turkey to the products covered in List: II of the Import Regime Decree.

Also according to the provisions of the Customs Union Agreement ,Turkey has to align itself with the EU’s preferences under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) which regulates autonomous customs duty preferences in favor of the least developed countries and some developing countries. The EU’s such tariff preferences to these countries are reflected List II of the Import Regime Decree.

As is known, Turkey enacted a new Decree on August 25, 2004 with the major aim of completing its obligations and aligning itself to the EU’s GSP Regime . With this new Decree all industrial products covered by the EU’s GSP Regime are included into Turkey’s GSP. As a result Turkey has fully completed the adoption of the EU’s GSP Regime in terms of countries and products.

In addition, in order to increase the competitive capacity of the domestic producers, the "suspension list” has been rearranged in cooperation with the EU and those goods are indicated in List-V. This List shows either reduced or mostly suspended customs duties applied to imports of certain products predominately used as raw material or intermediate inputs in chemical and electronic industries.

End use products of the European Union, has been indicated in Lists I, II and V with the symbol (a) added to the end of the item description.

The 24 Import Communiques appended to the Import Regulation arrange imports with regard to the public order, public moral and public security, the preservation of the human, animal and plant health, the protection of the environment, consumer rights as well as the import policies in force and the international agreements. These Communiques are :

• 2008/ 1 Communique on international fairs in Turkey
• 2008/ 2 Communique on imports of war weapons and parts thereof
• 2008/ 3 Communique on imports of radioactive substances and apparatus using such substances
• 2008/ 4 Communique on imports of high intensity sweeteners
• 2008/ 5 Communique on imports of maps and similar documents
• 2008/ 6 Communique on products which can only be imported with a guarantee certificate
• 2008/ 7 Communique on imports of motor vehicles
• 2008/ 8 Communique on imports of products used in civil air crafts
• 2008/ 9 Communique on imports of old, used or renovated goods
• 2008/10 Communique on imports of bank notes and similar commercial papers
• 2008/11 Communique on imports of some explosive substances, fire guns, knives and similar articles
• 2008/12 Communique on imports of solvents and certain petroleum products
• 2008/13 Communique on imports of some products which affect workers’ health and work security
• 2008/14 Communique on imports of ozone depleting substances
• 2008/15 Communique on imports of certain dyers
• 2008/16 Communique on imports of fertilizers
• 2008/17 Communique on imports of substances listed in the annexes to the Convention on the Control of Chemical Weapons
• 2008/18 Communique on products of which the customs duties will be suspended
• 2008/19 Communique on the generalized system of preferences
• 2008/20 Communique on the surveillance of certain products
• 2008/21 Communique on registration of textile and clothings
• 2008/22 Communique on imports of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
• 2008/23 Communique on imports of  registration on leather and fur clothings
• 2008/24 Communique on the registration of end-use certificates for dual-use goods and technologies

Source: http://www.dtm.gov.tr

Turkey has been implementing an export-oriented strategy since 1980. The basic objective of this strategy is to constitute an outward oriented economic structure in the framework of free market economy and to be integrated with world markets.

With this new strategy, export intensive measures consisting of various supportive components, arrangements directed to the foreign trade liberalization.

In addition to liberal arrangements made to improve exports, some support programs came into effect. The main facilities provided for the exporters were as follows: corporate tax exemption, tax refund, premium to the Resource Utilization and Support Fund, subsidies obtained from the Support and Price Stabilization Fund. However, the above mentioned supports have been gradually eliminated in accordance with our international commitments since the second half of 1980s.

On the other hand, with the establishment of the Turk Eximbank in 1987, supporting exports gained a new dimension. In this respect, in order to increase the competitive strength of the Turkish exporters in foreign markets, some credits and guarantee programs under the international commitments began to be applied to the sectors with high export potentials.

Related to particularly support of exports, policies of the foreign trade strategy that was set up under the conditions of 1980s have been reviewed and modified in view of the developments taken place in the world and Turkey in the 1990s. In this respect, State Aids prepared in compliance chiefly with the World Trade Organization and our international commitments were put into practice as of 01.06.1995.

The most significant phenomenon in Turkey's foreign trade policy is the Customs Union established between the EU and Turkey as of 01.01.1996. This development initiated the duration needed for the legal infrastructural consistency of foreign trade strategy with the EU"s norms, and thus both import and export regimes have been made consistent with the regulations of the EU. Within the framework of the modifications made in the laws, the Export Support Regime applied until 1.1.1996 was modified in compliance with the Customs Code of the Community.

In place of the Export Support Regime applied in the framework of the Export Support Decision No. 94/5782 based on obtaining raw materials at world market prices, the Inward Processing Regime numbered 95/7615, published in the Official Gazette 31.12.1995,the newly Inward Processing Regime numbered 2005/8391 published in the Official Gazette 27/1/2005 and prepared as being parallel to the provisions of the Community Customs Code, entered into force as of 1.1.1996.

According to the modifications in the Export Regime, (article 4(e) of the Export Regulation published in the Official Gazette on 6 June 2006/26190), "an exporter" is defined as a person who is a member of the related Exporters" Association,

• a natural or legal person having a single tax number,
• joint- venture,
• consortium.

Export is the  exportation of goods, in compliance with the current Export Regulations, Customs Regulations,out of Turkey's custom area or to the free trade zones or other ways of leaving country which can be accepted as an export by the Ministry of Economy.

Types of exports are as follows:

(a) Registered Export

(b) Pre-licenced Export

(c) Exports by means of consignment

(d) Barter trade

(e) Exports without returns

(f) Exports through leasing (Subject to Customs Legislation)

All goods, other than those whose exportation is prohibited by laws, decrees and international agreements, can be freely exported within the framework of the Export Regime Decree.

However, within the framework of WTO rules, restrictions and prohibitions on exports may be imposed in case of market turmoil, scarcity of exported goods, in order to protect public safety, morals, health; flora and fauna, environment, as well as, articles bearing artistic, historical and archeological value.

The goods whose exportation is prohibited and subject to permit are listed in the Communique numbered 96/31.

Source: http://www.dtm.gov.tr