EU urged to exempt Turkiye from planned change in customs rules

Therefore, Turkish trade bodies have called for excluding their country from this rule, citing the country’s Customs Union membership, strong supply chain integration and the uncertainty related to the regulation.

It is widely understood that the EU has implemented this regulation primarily for goods coming from China, but due to a lack of clarity regarding which countries this new application will cover under the current regulation, it is widely perceived that shipments from Turkiye will also be evaluated within the same scope, according to domestic media reports.

The trade bodies feel Turkiye, unlike China, is not a threat to EU economies, but a complementary and close commercial ally.

The share of e-commerce exports in Turkiye's total exports is around 2.5 per cent, and the EU has a significant share in this volume.

Keeping in view the significant market loss witnessed in the European textile and readymade clothing market in recent years, the abolition of the €150 exemption will subject Turkish products to additional cost pressure.

This may lead to small and medium enterprises in Turkiye selling through e-commerce platforms facing a drop in orders, revenue and employment loss risks.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)