Import Industrial Machinery to Turkey

Yes, Turkey requires CE marking for industrial machinery as part of its harmonization with EU regulations. Turkey adopted the EU Machinery Directive through national legislation, meaning the same CE marking requirements apply as in EU member states. Chinese machinery manufacturers who already provide CE-certified equipment can supply directly to the Turkish market without additional certification.

Turkey's Customs Union with the EU applies to industrial products, meaning Turkey uses the same tariff classification and similar duty rates as the EU for manufactured goods. However, China does not benefit from preferential rates under the Customs Union; Chinese machinery enters Turkey under MFN tariff rates. The benefit is that CE-marked machinery entering Turkey theoretically meets EU standards, facilitating potential re-export within the customs union area.

TAREKS (Dis Ticarette Risk Esasli Kontrol Sistemi / Risk-Based Trade Control System) is Turkey's electronic system for pre-shipment risk assessment of imports. For certain product categories, importers must register their shipment in TAREKS before goods arrive in Turkey. The system determines whether physical inspection, document review, or automatic clearance applies. TAREKS registration is done online through the Turkish Ministry of Trade portal.

Total landed costs for importing Chinese machinery to Turkey include: MFN customs duty (0-4.7%), KDV/VAT (20%), potential KKDF charge (6% if credit-financed), shipping costs (typically $2,000-5,000 per container from China to Mersin), customs broker fees ($300-800), and inland transport. The total tax and duty burden typically adds 25-35% to the FOB price. Investment Incentive Certificates can reduce or eliminate customs duty and VAT.

Yes, Turkey's Investment Incentive Certificate (Yatirim Tesvik Belgesi) program offers significant benefits including customs duty exemption, VAT exemption, and other incentives for qualifying investments. Applications are made through the Ministry of Industry and Technology. This can eliminate the 0-4.7% customs duty and 20% VAT on imported machinery, substantially reducing landed costs. Priority and strategic investment categories receive the most generous incentives.

Mersin is the preferred port for most Chinese machinery imports due to its Mediterranean location, large container capacity, and proximity to Turkey's industrial regions. Ambarli/Istanbul is best for destinations in the Marmara region and European Turkey. Izmir/Aliaga serves the Aegean region. Transit from Chinese ports takes 22-30 days via the Suez Canal. Choose based on your factory or warehouse location to minimize inland transport costs.