Importing from Turkey

Why Import from Turkey?

Turkey occupies a unique geographic position bridging Europe and Asia, making it a strategic sourcing destination for importers targeting European and Middle Eastern markets. The country's manufacturing strengths include textiles and apparel (one of the world's top five producers), automotive parts, machinery, chemicals, steel, ceramics, and food processing. Istanbul serves as the commercial heart, while Bursa is the automotive hub, Denizli specializes in textiles, and Gaziantep is the center of the food processing industry. Major ports include Istanbul (Ambarli and Haydarpasa), Izmir, Mersin, and Izmit. Turkey's key advantages include the Customs Union with the European Union (eliminating customs duties for industrial goods), high-quality textile manufacturing with fast turnaround times, and competitive pricing compared to Western European alternatives. Maritime shipping times from Turkey to European ports are typically 5-10 days versus 25-35 days from China.

Key Advantages

• ✓EU Customs Union membership provides duty-free access for industrial goods to European markets
• ✓Strategic geographic position as a nearshoring destination for European importers with fast shipping
• ✓Well-established textile and apparel industry with high-quality output and quick turnaround
• ✓Growing automotive parts, machinery, and chemical manufacturing sectors with strong export quality

Main departure hubs in Turkey

Most Turkey export freight moves through Istanbul, Mersin. The hub you book from drives transit time, departure frequency and often the rate itself — two gateways in the same country can differ by hundreds of dollars on a container.

Sea freight loads at the container port, air freight at the international airport. Ask your forwarder which hub the quote is based on before comparing rates.

Main Export Ports and Shipping Times

Typical sea freight transit times from Turkey's main export ports:

• Istanbul (Ambarli)

  Importing from Istanbul (Ambarli): 7-12 days to Rotterdam, 14-20 days to New York.

• Izmir

  Importing from Izmir: 6-11 days to Rotterdam, 14-19 days to New York.

• Mersin

  Importing from Mersin: 6-10 days to Rotterdam, 13-18 days to New York.

Typical port-to-port ranges. Actual transit time varies with carrier, season and routing.

Import Guides (3)

Import Routes from Turkey (31)