The Import Regime of 2009, reflecting both Turkey's international rights and obligations and the country's economic needs, has been prepared by taking into account the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Customs Union Agreement between Turkey and the European Union, the free trade agreements signed with various countries, the preferential treatments granted by Turkey to the least developed countries and some developing countries within the framework of generalized system of preferences and also the specific needs and requirements of the agricultural and industrial sectors .
Turkey maintains a transparent and open trade regime. The clarity of the Import Regime is ensured by indicating the rates of the customs duties separately for countries and country groups and the products are classified under six lists. Namely;
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Agricultural products (List: I )
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Industrial products (List: II )
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Processed agricultural products (List: III )
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Fish and fishery products (List: IV )
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Suspension list (List: V )
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List of goods used in civil aircraft eligible to relief from customs duties (List: VI )
In addition, the changes made by the Undersecretariat of Customs on the tariff nomenclature and/or descriptions of the items for the year 2005 are taken into consideration and related amendments and arrangements are made in all the lists and communiqués annexed to the Import Regime.
The Import Regime is published in the Official Journal, dated 31 December 2008 and No: 27097 bis came into force as of 1 January 2009.
The main features of the 2009 Import Regime Decree can be summarized as follows:
Amendments in Agricultural, Processed Agricultural and Fish-Fishery Products:
Turkey has concluded various free trade agreements and the preferential treatments accorded to these countries in agricultural , processed agricultural and fishery products are reflected to the annexed lists of the Import Regime Decree.
Customs duty rates on agricultural products in List : I and on fish and fishery products in List:IV, has been rearranged by taking into consideration the demands of the sectors, views of the relevant institutions and organizations and Turkey's commitments arising from the international agreements .
The customs duty rates applied on the industrial components of the processed agricultural products which are indicated in List III are aligned to the EU's common customs tariff rates.
Amendments in Industrial Products:
Regarding the provisions of the Decision No:1/95 on the EU-Turkey Customs Union, Turkey has to apply simultaneously the EU common external tariff (CET) for most imports of industrial products and for the industrial component of processed agricultural products imported from the third countries. In this context, tariff reductions of the EU"s towards the third countries has been reflected by Turkey to the products covered in List: II of the Import Regime Decree.
Also according to the provisions of the Customs Union Agreement ,Turkey has to align itself with the EU's preferences under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) which regulates autonomous customs duty preferences in favor of the least developed countries and some developing countries. The EU"s such tariff preferences to these countries are reflected List II of the Import Regime Decree.
As is known, Turkey enacted a new Decree on August 25, 2004 with the major aim of completing its obligations and aligning itself to the EU’s GSP Regime . With this new Decree all industrial products covered by the EU’s GSP Regime are included into Turkey’s GSP. As a result Turkey has fully completed the adoption of the EU’s GSP Regime in terms of countries and products.
In addition, in order to increase the competitive capacity of the domestic producers, the "suspension list” has been rearranged in cooperation with the EU and those goods are indicated in List-V. This List shows either reduced or mostly suspended customs duties applied to imports of certain products predominately used as raw material or intermediate inputs in chemical and electronic industries.
End use products of the European Union, has been indicated in Lists I, II and V with the symbol (a) added to the end of the item description.
The 21 Import Communiques appended to the Import Regulation arrange imports with regard to the public order, public moral and public security, the preservation of the human, animal and plant health, the protection of the environment, consumer rights as well as the import policies in force and the international agreements. These Communiques are :
Com.No: Title of the Communique:
2009/ 1 Communique on international fairs in Turkey
2009/ 2 Communique on imports of war weapons and parts thereof
2009/ 3 Communique on imports of radioactive substances and apparatus using such substances
2009/ 4 Communique on imports of high intensity sweeteners
2009/ 5 Communique on imports of maps and similar documents
2009/ 6 Communique on products which can only be imported with a guarantee certificate
2009/ 7 Communique on imports of motor vehicles
2009/ 8 Communique on imports of products used in civil air crafts
2009/ 9 Communique on imports of old, used or renovated goods
2009/10 Communique on imports of bank notes and similar commercial papers
2009/11 Communique on imports of some explosive substances, fire guns, knives and similar articles
2009/12 Communique on the registration of end-use certificates for dual-use goods and technologies
2009/13 Communique on imports of some products which affect workers’ health and work security
2009/14 Communique on imports of ozone depleting substances
2009/15 Communique on imports of certain dyers
2009/16 Communique on imports of fertilizers
2009/17 Communique on imports of substances listed in the annexes to the Convention on the
Control of Chemical Weapons
2009/18 Communique on products of which the customs duties will be suspended
2009/19 Communique on the generalized system of preferences
2009/20 Communique on the surveillance of certain products
2009/21 Communique on registration of textile and clothings
