6 Practical steps for importing from Türkiye

The upgraded post-Brexit trade agreement between the UK and Türkiye marks a significant milestone, facilitating smoother trade relations between the two nations, which benefits from direct trade routes and a government keen to encourage trade. However, it is important to be aware of key aspects involved when trading with Türkiye. In this blog we will outline practical steps to guide you to completing successful imports from Türkiye.

1. Licencing and certifications
Some of the popular imports from Türkiye require a licence or official certification – and failure to obtain these are likely to result in your goods being held by customs. Fruit, for example, is among one of Türkiye’s top exports and is an agricultural product that often requires a licence or official certification. Other popular exports including textiles and live animals are other examples where a licence or official certification is often needed.

2. Commodity code
A commodity code denotes the classification of goods being imported into the UK, and is needed against all goods being imported from Türkiye. You can use the UK Trade Tariff online to assist in finding the correct commodity code. This 10-digit code is required for customs declarations and other paperwork, and will also give you information on duty or VAT that is payable, and if any reduced or zero rates of duty are applicable.

3. EORI number
Anyone in the UK importing from Turkey needs an EORI number, which is issued by HMRC. This number is used by customs to identify importers. Which differs from a commodity code which is used to identify the type of goods being imported. An EORI number is easy to obtain and can be applied for online and is received by email within three working days.

4. Import declarations
You will also be required to make an import declaration to HMRC when importing goods from Türkiye. A declaration provides information on commodity codes, discloses the import value of the goods and a customs procedure code explaining what is happening with the goods on import (for example, free circulation). Consult your freight forwarder who can help with your import declaration.

5. VAT and duty
VAT and customs duty, may be payable on goods imported from Türkiye, so it is important to factor these into your total costs. Doing this will help you with purchasing decisions to ensure all import costs, including VAT and duty are making your goods profitable, if they are being sold within the UK market. For independent customs advice contact our customs clearance team.

6. Optimum transportation
Goods are commonly imported to the UK from Türkiye by road haulage across Europe. However, there have been security issues and delays caused by congestion over recent times, a lot of which has been related to the displacement of refugees across Europe. Trailers in particular, have been targeted by those seeking illegal entry to the UK and cargo owners have experienced delays, loss and damage to goods as a result.

Choosing to have your goods transported by sea freight removes this risk. At Denholm Good Logistics our LCL (less than container load) shipments provide a safe and reliable weekly direct service-by-sea route to the Port of Felixstowe from Istanbul. To find out more about our popular Türkiye-to-UK LCL sea service click here to learn more.