Türkiye has ended a 30-euro ($35) duty-free allowance for noncommercial goods purchased from abroad via mail or express cargo, according to a presidential decree published on Wednesday.
The new rule will take effect in 30 days, the decision in the Official Gazette said, adding that duty-free imports will now only apply to medicines and dietary supplements valued at up to 1,500 euros, the decree said.
The new regulation is likely to affect small personal orders made from popular, cheap shopping sites abroad.
Under previous rules, revised in 2024, the threshold had been lowered to 27 euros per order, with an additional 3 euro shipping fee.
That followed soaring imports after demand ballooned for goods ordered from shopping platforms like Chinese Shein and Temu, which sell products at largely affordable prices.
Goods shipped to Türkiye that are not considered commercial are subject to taxes of 30% for EU-origin products and 60% for others, while certain items also incur a 20% tax.
Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, head of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), called the new rule a "proper" decision.
Hisarcıklıoğlu argued that uncontrolled e-imports were a serious problem that poses risks for consumers and subjects small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to unfair competition
"Inspections conducted by the Ministry of Trade in October 2025 show that 81% of the products entering our country through simplified customs legislation are risky," he said.
"Terminating this period ... is extremely appropriate. Nothing could be more natural than for Türkiye, like the rest of the world, to start conducting necessary inspections at its customs."
