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Business and industry groups called on the European Union on Thursday to exempt Türkiye from its plan to implement customs duties on low-value parcels arriving in the bloc starting next year.
The EU has a “de minimis” customs duty exemption for e-commerce parcels arriving in the bloc valued at less than 150 euros ($174). The new action to introduce duties as soon as possible in 2026 is mainly aimed at cracking down on cheap shipments from China, which dominate low-value imports into the bloc.
However, Turkish business leaders say the move could unintentionally harm Türkiye’s small-scale exporters and disrupt the country’s tightly integrated trade relationship with the EU through the customs union.
Türkiye’s customs union membership and deep supply-chain ties are among the reasons sector representatives argue that Türkiye should be excluded from the new scheme.
Şekib Avdagiç, president of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), said the EU’s plan would impose customs duties on all low-value imports if the current threshold is removed.
“Some 91% of all e-commerce shipments under 150 euros to the EU came from China last year,” Avdagiç told Anadolu Agency (AA), noting that the bloc’s decision is primarily targeting Chinese-origin goods.
“It is not clear which countries this new scheme will cover, so this may affect Turkish entrepreneurs, and it needs to be resolved as soon as possible.”
Online platforms like Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Amazon Haul send clothes, accessories and gadgets from Chinese factories directly to shoppers at rock-bottom prices thanks to the customs waiver.
The number of low-value e-commerce packages arriving in the bloc doubled last year to 4.6 billion. More than 90% of them are from China, according to the European Commission.
The EU executive estimates that some 65% of small parcels entering the EU are undervalued to avoid customs duties.
It also sees risks of harm to consumers from non-compliant products, of environmental damage from shipping products with a short lifespan, and of damage to EU industry, notably retailers, from the import surge.
The U.S. has scrapped its own “de minimis” policy that allowed duty-free entry to parcels worth less than $800, leading to concerns that cheap Chinese imports would divert more to Europe.
Avdagiç said Türkiye poses no threat to EU economies and instead complements them as a close trading partner. He added that the Turkish Trade Ministry has been working actively to strengthen commercial ties with the bloc.
Türkiye’s e-commerce exports are expected to reach $8 billion this year, a large portion destined for EU markets.
“If Türkiye is not exempted from this decision, it will affect our small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) e-exports,” Avdagiç said.
Mustafa Gültepe, president of the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM), said that although the EU’s move is designed to curb Chinese shipments, Turkish exporters will also be affected if the regulation enters force in its current form, particularly in textiles and ready-to-wear goods.
Gültepe said e-commerce exports account for 2.5% of Türkiye’s total exports, amounting to $6.5 billion (TL 275.89 billion). “The EU makes up a significant portion of this volume,” he told AA.
He warned that ending the 150 euro exemption would increase the final prices of Turkish products in the bloc, a disadvantage given the recent downturn in Europe’s textile and ready-to-wear market. This, he said, would likely lead to declines in orders, turnover and employment, particularly among SMEs.
“It is key for Türkiye to request to be exempted from this due to our customs union partnerships, supply chain integration, and compliance with EU regulations,” he said.
“In failure to secure exemption, counterbalancing measures like strengthening the e-commerce export support for the EU and reducing logistics costs will be key for Turkish exports to maintain their competitiveness,” he added.
