Shipping from China and Hong Kong to Türkiye: customs, ports and the A.TR certificate

Trade status: Outside the EU, but in a customs union with it for industrial goods
Customs authority: Ministry of Trade, Directorate General of Customs
Import VAT: KDV, standard rate 20 percent
Key document: A.TR certificate for onward movement to the EU without duty
Product control: TAREKS risk based screening for regulated product categories
Main entry points: Ambarli, Mersin and Izmir by sea, Istanbul by air

For an importer bringing goods from Asia, that customs union matters in two directions. Türkiye largely applies the EU common external tariff to industrial goods, so the duty picture is familiar. And goods that have been imported and put into free circulation can then move into the EU under an A.TR without paying duty a second time.

Geographically Türkiye is well positioned on the Asia to Europe corridor, with Mediterranean, Aegean and Marmara ports all handling Asian services. Mersin serves the south and the corridor towards the Middle East, Ambarli and the Marmara ports serve Istanbul and the industrial northwest, and Izmir serves the Aegean manufacturing region.

The main practical obstacle is not customs duty, it is product control. TAREKS, the risk based product safety system, screens imports of regulated goods before release, and a shipment that has not been registered through it does not clear regardless of how good the rest of the file is.

Where cargo lands

Main freight and distribution centres

Istanbul

The commercial capital and the largest market, with the Marmara port complex and the main air cargo gateway.

Izmir

Aegean manufacturing and export centre, strong in textiles, food processing and machinery.

Mersin and Adana

The southern gateway, serving central Anatolia and the corridor towards the Middle East.

Bursa and Kocaeli

The industrial heartland around the Marmara, with automotive, textile and chemical manufacturing.

Ankara

The administrative capital, with defence and machinery industries and inland customs facilities.

Sea freight

Ports of entry and what they mean for your cargo

Ambarli

The main container complex serving Istanbul and the northwestern industrial region, with the widest range of services.

Mersin

The largest southern port, serving central and southeastern Anatolia and acting as a gateway towards the Middle East.

Izmir and Aliaga

The Aegean ports, serving the manufacturing and export industries of the west.

Kocaeli and Gemlik

Marmara ports handling automotive, industrial and ro-ro traffic close to the manufacturing belt.

Türkiye is on the direct Asia to Europe sea route, so transit times are competitive with the best Mediterranean options and better than any northern European port.

Matching the port to the industrial region matters here. Mersin for the south and central Anatolia, the Marmara ports for Istanbul and Bursa, Izmir for the Aegean. The inland distances are large enough that the wrong choice is expensive.

For cargo that will later move into the EU, whether it enters free circulation in Türkiye or moves under transit changes both the duty position and the documentation, and it should be decided before arrival.

Air freight

Airports and when air is the right answer

Istanbul (IST)

A major global air cargo hub with extensive direct capacity from Asia and full handling and customs facilities.

Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen (SAW)

The Asian side of Istanbul, convenient for the eastern Marmara industrial region.

Izmir (ADB) and Ankara (ESB)

Regional gateways serving the Aegean and central Anatolia directly.

Istanbul has become one of the strongest air cargo hubs between Asia and Europe, with genuine direct capacity rather than connections through a third country. For urgent cargo this is a real advantage.

That hub role also means Türkiye can be an effective staging point for cargo whose final destination is elsewhere in Europe or the Middle East.

Indicative transit times

How long the movement usually takes

Sea FCL, South China to Ambarli or MersinAround 22 to 32 days port to portAmong the shortest sea transits from Asia to a European destination.
Sea LCL, South China to TürkiyeAround 32 to 44 days door to doorConsolidation and deconsolidation add time at both ends.
Air freight, Hong Kong or South China to IstanbulAround 4 to 8 days door to doorStrong direct capacity, including pickup, handling and clearance.
Road onward to the EUAround 4 to 8 days from IstanbulDepending on the destination and the border crossing, for goods moving on under an A.TR.

These ranges are indicative and exist to help you plan. Real transit time depends on the service, the season, the routing and the clearance itself, and we confirm it per shipment rather than publish it as a promise.

Customs

How clearance into Türkiye actually works

The competent authority is Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade, Directorate General of Customs.

The customs union with the EU covers industrial goods, which means Türkiye largely applies the EU common external tariff to them. Agricultural products, coal and steel sit outside that arrangement and follow their own rules.

The A.TR certificate is the document that lets goods in free circulation in Türkiye move to the EU without paying EU import duty again. It is not a certificate of origin and does not prove where the goods were made; it proves their customs status. Confusing the two is a common and expensive mistake.

Import VAT is 20 percent, calculated on the customs value including duty and certain charges. Registered Turkish businesses recover it through their VAT return.

Turkish customs administration is thorough and formal. Documentation must be complete, consistent and often notarised or officially certified, more so than in most EU member states.

A foreign company without a Turkish entity cannot act as importer of record. A local importer, distributor or agent has to be in place, and that arrangement should be settled long before shipping.

Documentation

What you need to have ready

Commercial invoice

Formal requirements are stricter than in the EU, and certification or notarisation may be required.

Packing list

Piece counts, weights and dimensions per package.

Bill of Lading or Air Waybill

The transport contract and the release instrument.

Certificate of origin

Proves where the goods were made. Distinct from the A.TR, and both may be needed.

A.TR movement certificate

For onward movement of goods in free circulation to the EU without duty.

TAREKS registration

Required for regulated product categories before the goods can be released.

CE conformity documentation

Turkish product regulations are largely aligned with EU standards for industrial goods.

Turkish importer details

Tax number and registration of the local entity acting as importer of record.

Controlled and restricted goods

What gets stopped, and why

TAREKS screening applies to a wide range of regulated goods, including electronics, toys, textiles and personal protective equipment. Without registration the shipment does not clear, whatever else is in order.
Textiles and clothing face additional controls and, in some categories, protective measures, which is significant given the size of the domestic industry.
Food, agricultural and animal origin products fall outside the EU customs union arrangement and follow separate Turkish rules with their own approvals.
Counterfeit enforcement is active, particularly at the Istanbul area ports.
Dual use goods and controlled technology require licences.
Wood packaging must comply with ISPM 15 and carry the mark.

Working with Velonex

What clients usually bring us in for on this lane

Companies using Türkiye as a manufacturing or redistribution base for the EU, where the A.TR mechanism and the free circulation question have to be handled correctly to be worth anything.
Textile, machinery and electronics importers facing TAREKS screening, where the registration has to be organised before the cargo arrives rather than after it is stopped.
Urgent cargo through Istanbul, which has genuine direct capacity from Asia rather than a connection through somewhere else.
Matching the port to the industrial region, since Turkish inland distances make the wrong discharge point genuinely expensive.
Foreign companies with no Turkish entity, who need the local importer arrangement resolved well before the first shipment.

Get a quote

Tell us what needs to move to Türkiye

We listen before we quote. Share the cargo, the deadline and the constraint, and we will come back with a route that accounts for all three, the documents it will need and a timeline we can stand behind.

Your details

Includes your name, company name and email address

Shipment route

Includes your pickup location and destination

Cargo type

Includes the type of cargo you are shipping

Special requirements

Includes a short note about your challenge

Timeline

Includes your desired timeline

Your quote

A tailored response based on everything above

Corporate logistics partner

Trust, clarity and operational follow through for complex cargo.

Not ready for a quote? Email info@velonex-hk.com or message us on WhatsApp with the question and we will answer it.

Sources

Where this information comes from

General guidance, last reviewed August 2026. Customs rules and product requirements change, and the treatment of any specific shipment depends on its classification, origin and value. Confirm the detail with us or with the authority before you commit to a movement.

Shipping from China and Hong Kong to Türkiye