Earlier this month, the European Union decided to remove the customs exemption, that was applicable for goods with a value of up to 150 euros, in 2026. The measure targets Chinese platforms, that mostly sell cheap products to European customers. Türkiye expects that it will be unaffected by the new ruling.
At the moment, consumers in Europe do not pay customs duties on low-value products ordered from online platforms outside of the European Union. As the influx of parcels has become overwhelming, the European Commission has decided to change that. By doing this, it also wants to level the playing field, as online stores in Europe find it hard to compete with product prices on Chinese platforms.
New opportunities
Turkish platforms could also be affected by the new rule, as they fall outside of the European Union. However, Hakan Cevikoglu, chair of the Türkiye-based E-Commerce Operators’ Association (ETID), says that it may not affect the country, but rather create opportunities.
‘We have legislation and practices fully aligned with the EU, particularly in product safety’
He noted that the EU’s concerns about issues like product safety, consumer rights, environmental concerns, trade balance and fair competition are valid. “We find these expectations to be reasonable, and we also support them—we have highly robust legislation and practices fully aligned with the EU, particularly in product safety, production and product standards, consumer rights, and environmental regulations”, he said. “Türkiye stands out with these among many other trading partners of the EU.”
‘Türkiye has no negative impact on EU’s customs operations’
However, he says that the share of Turkish products entering the EU is rather small. So small that “Türkiye has no negative impact on the EU’s customs operations. The Ankara Agreement and the Customs Union make Türkiye a part of the EU market, in addition to its geographical location, level of development, and compliance with regulations, setting the country apart from others”, he said.
‘Türkiye should not be evaluated in the same category as the other countries this reform is targeting’
“Türkiye should not be evaluated in the same category as the other countries this new reform is targeting—furthering our trade relations and Türkiye’s integration with the EU in all areas represents strategic importance to both sides. Türkiye stands out with its high-quality production, strong customs policies, and compliance with EU standards—the exclusion of Türkiye from this decision will boost the competitiveness of Turkish producers on a global scale.”
