Ecommerce giant Temu has suspended cross-border sales of products in Türkiye. Consumers in the country can only see and buy products from local online sellers that offer domestic shipping. The change comes after a regulatory inspection from Türkiye’s Competition Authority, and it is unclear if it is a permanent change or not.
Since opening its marketplace to European online sellers in 2024, Temu has grown steadily in Europe. In June 2025, the platform established an office in Istanbul, Türkiye. This was decided after the Trade Ministry in the country required all foreign online marketplace operators to register a domestic legal entity. Around that time, Temu had also started allowing Turkish online sellers on the platform.
Restructuring to address regulatory compliance concerns
Last week, the Turkish Competition Authority conducted an inspection at Temu’s office in Istanbul. According to the agency, the visit did not signal a formal investigation. However, just days later, Temu made the decision to only show goods from online retailers based in Türkiye. This could indicate that the marketplace is restructuring its operations in the country to address regulatory compliance concerns.
‘The shift affects shopping habits of consumers who have gotten used to buying cheap imported products’
The Chinese online marketplace Temu is well-known for its large product range, with cheap products coming from online sellers based in Asia. Shifting to a Türkiye-only marketplace in the country affects shopping habits of Turkish consumers who have gotten used to buying imported products through the platform.
Tighter rules for Chinese ecommerce platforms
The platform has not expressed whether the change is temporary or permanent. Türkiye has been intensifying its scrutiny of Chinese ecommerce platforms operating in the country. Earlier this month, the Trade Ministry announced that it will eliminate the current simplified customs clearance process for items valued up to 30 euros. This elimination will come into effect on 1 February.
Just like in other countries, Turkish investigations showed that toxic and carcinogenic substances were found in imported products. Since then, local ecommerce organizations have pushed for tighter import rules.
Widespread import reforms
And in the European Union, it was decided to remove the customs exemption that was applicable to goods with a value of up to 150 euros by this year. While Türkiye is unaffected by that reform, it is evident a call for import regulations and reforms is widespread.
