Chinese e-commerce giant Temu has officially entered the Turkish market, launching local operations with an ambitious promise of one-day delivery through a new logistics hub in Istanbul, according to reports on Thursday.
Temu, a subsidiary of PDD Holdings, has rapidly expanded globally in recent years by shipping low-cost products directly to consumers and taking advantage of customs exemptions for low-value goods.
According to Turkish tech news outlet DonanımHaber, the company opened an operations office in Istanbul on Thursday and plans to establish a warehouse to facilitate direct domestic deliveries.
Temu did not immediately respond to Daily Sabah's inquiry regarding the reported developments.
The company has already relocated its billing and payment systems from Dublin, Ireland, to Türkiye, private broadcaster CNBC-e reported.
Last month, Temu representatives informed Turkish Trade Ministry officials that the company was taking steps to establish a representative office in Türkiye, according to Anadolu Agency (AA).
The update followed a meeting between the ministry and company officials to address Temu’s legal obligations and responsibilities related to e-commerce product safety.
Officials reportedly told the company that, under new regulations, selling products without information about a locally established economic operator would not be permitted.
Since last year, Türkiye has sought to rein in soaring imports amid surging demand for low-cost goods from platforms like Temu.
The government is now considering lowering the current 30-euro (about $34.50) customs-free threshold for international purchases to 22 euros, according to Mustafa Gültepe, chair of the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM).
The threshold was previously reduced from 150 euros in August last year. At the same time, import duties on packages from Europe were increased to 30% from 18%, while taxes on goods from outside the European Union were doubled to 60%.
Current rules allow a maximum of five items per shipment, with no more than two of the same product, and limit each person to five purchases per month.
According to data from the Interbank Card Center (BKM), spending on international shopping using Türkiye-issued cards rose by 40% last year, reaching TL 218 billion (over $5.5 billion).
