As stated in Article 8 of the Import Regime Decree, any natural and legal persons that are issued tax numbers under the Tax Procedural Law and the people partnerships who are granted the authority to make legal savings according to the current provisions can undertake import transactions.
All goods, except the ones whose import is prohibited or subject to permission, can be imported to Turkey. The authority of determination for the goods whose importation is not permitted primarily belongs to the Ministry of Economy. In this respect, importing specific wastes, chemicals and scraps is prohibited regarding protecting the environment.
On the other hand, import of certain goods which are not directly subject to the import prohibition can be imported with permission on account of the protection of humans, animals and environmental health. Furthermore, certain goods can only be imported by certain institutions. The permissions and licences from the related Institutions and the procedure of the import regime are regulated by “Import Communiqué” and “Product Safety and Inspection Communiqués”, which are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy.
So, what are the most imported products by Turkey?
Natural Gas and Oil
Turkey is a significant partner that buys natural gas and oil from Russia and Iran. Industrial, agricultural and transportation, such as oil and natural gas, indispensable in many sectors, are among Turkey’s most important import products regarding foreign trade.
Scrap Iron
Back in 2020, Turkey imported $6.01B in Scrap Iron, becoming the 1st largest importer of Scrap Iron in the world. In the same year, Scrap Iron was Turkey’s 4th most imported product. Today, this dynamic is growing even more. Turkey imports Scrap Iron primarily from the United States of America, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and Belgium.
Electronic Devices
In Turkey, electronic devices, communication tools and electronic products mainly imported medical devices and settled in a crucial place. In particular, China, Germany, the USA, France and Italy are the countries with the most imported electronic products.
Loom Machines
Of course, it is inevitable for Turkey, a textile paradise, to import handloom machines. Turkey imports most of its handloom machines from India and is the largest importer of handloom in the World.
Turkey’s Most Import Countries
As of 2017, Turkey’s most imports from 10 countries are as follows:
China
Turkey made 2017 to 23.3 billion in imports from China. The imported goods are data processing machines, electronic units, audio and visual pointing devices, toys and television receivers.
Germany
Turkey made 21,3 billion in imports from Germany in 2017. Imported land vehicles, planes, medicines, chemicals, agricultural tools and medical supplies from Germany take up a great deal of space.
The Russian Federation
Turkey made 19,5 billion in imports from Russia in 2017. Much of this import is in the energy field because Turkey is the European Union after Russia’s largest oil and gas customers.
The USA
Turkey made $ 12 billion in 2017 imports from the United States. Among the 12 billion dollars worth of imports, the products with the largest share are electronic devices, cotton, gold and air vehicles.
Italy
Turkey made 11,3 billion in imports from Italy in 2017. This figure is spent on automotive, electronics, telecommunication and textiles purchases.
France
Turkey made in France in 2017 $8 billion of imports. These products are primarily on automobiles, aircraft and aircraft engines.
Iran
Turkey made 7.4 billion dollars in 2017, imports from Iran. These imports are produced mainly in the energy sector as natural gas and oil.
Switzerland
Turkey made 6.8 billion dollars in 2017 imports from Switzerland. In recent years, the increase in imports from Switzerland has come to the forefront of automatic data processing systems, printing machinery and aircraft spare parts purchased in this country.
