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Customs Limit Removed: Protecting Producers or Creating Barriers?

The New Customs Regulation, R&D Barriers, and Global Production Ecosystems from the Perspective of a Logistics Student
January 20, 2026 by
Ufuk Arda Şimşek

In this article, I will talk about the new customs regulation, why such a regulation was considered necessary, and how other countries handle similar issues, from my own perspective as a logistics management student.

New Customs Decision: 0 Euro

According to the new regulation, the right to bring products from abroad, which was previously limited to 27 Euros, has been completely removed under Decision No. 10813 published in the Official Gazette. This decision will come into force on February 6. The official reasons given for this regulation are “protecting domestic production, preventing unfair competition, and reducing the current account deficit.”

As you may know, the “simplified customs declaration” limit - meaning the threshold under which courier companies could handle customs procedures on behalf of consumers - had previously been reduced from 150 Euros to 30 Euros. Later, with shipping costs included, this limit was effectively lowered to 27 Euros. At this point, this right has been completely abolished.

How Will the New Law Affect Our Daily Lives?

With this change, the era of individual overseas shopping has effectively come to an end. From now on, if you want to bring a product from abroad, you will need to work with a customs brokerage company and follow standard import procedures.

Who Will the New Law Affect and How?

First of all, everyone living in Turkey will be affected by this regulation. As an end consumer, it is no longer possible to buy products worth 100–200 TL from e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress or Temu simply by paying the product price and receiving the item without any additional procedures.

The groups most affected by this regulation will be students and people engaged in R&D activities. These individuals will no longer be able to easily obtain the components needed for prototype production from abroad. Unfortunately, not every component can be sourced domestically. As a result, those involved in R&D will either have to purchase these products at much higher prices within Turkey or terminate their activities altogether.

In this situation, the real beneficiaries are not domestic manufacturers, but intermediary companies that import finished products from abroad and sell them in the local market.

How to Import Products from Abroad?

To briefly summarize the process of bringing products according to customs procedures;

  • Transportation: First, the products you wish to purchase must be shipped to Turkey.
  • Bonded Warehouse: The products must be unloaded into a bonded warehouse within the country. Goods stored in bonded warehouses have not yet cleared customs and their taxes have not been paid. Storage costs in such warehouses are quite high.
  • Customs Broker: You must work with a customs broker to complete the customs clearance procedures and pay the required taxes for the goods stored in the warehouse.
  • Documentation: It is very important that the products are brand new; importing second-hand goods is subject to much stricter regulations. In addition, documents such as the certificate of origin and HS code (GTIP) must be provided.

The cost of all these procedures is often higher than the price of the product itself. Moreover, it is quite difficult to find a customs broker willing to work with you for low-value “cheap” products.

Global Examples: Models That Truly Support Producers

In its official statements, the Ministry emphasized “protecting domestic production.” However, as a logistics student, I would like to point out that simply raising customs barriers is not enough to protect local manufacturers. On the contrary, it reduces competition and leads to higher prices. So how do global economic powers truly support their producers and help them succeed in international markets?

The “Make in India” Model

India introduced the “Make in India” initiative to the world in 2014. The goal of this model is to turn India into one of the world’s major manufacturing hubs. Achieving this goal requires increasing domestic production. To support this, high taxes are imposed on the import of finished products, while the import of semi-finished goods is subject to little or no taxation.

For example, if you import a ready-to-sell, boxed, brand-new mobile phone, you are required to pay a 20% customs duty. However, if you import the components needed to manufacture the phone (such as the screen or motherboard), the tax rate ranges between 0% and 5%. This makes it far more advantageous to import parts and assemble the product in India rather than importing a finished product.

In addition, India aims to attract foreign investors by digitalizing and simplifying its customs processes. This approach can be summarized as the government taking on a facilitating role for foreign investment. In later stages, India also plans to improve its logistics infrastructure to support manufacturers in building global supply chains.

China's Pilot Zones

According to data from China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), as of 2026 there are more than 165 e-commerce pilot zones in China. The purpose of these zones is to encourage exports by providing domestic manufacturers with tax exemptions and allowing certain transactions without invoices. The government also offers R&D incentives to companies operating in these zones.

In addition, China encourages its manufacturers to establish logistics warehouses overseas. The aim of this policy is to reduce transportation costs and shorten delivery times by shipping products to customers from warehouses located closer to them, rather than directly from China.

To give an example, imagine you are a Chinese company producing goods in an e-commerce pilot zone. With government incentives, you ship your products at low cost to warehouses you have already established in Europe. Even before receiving any customer orders, you distribute large quantities of products around the world using low-cost container and sea transportation. When customers place orders, you ship the products from the nearest warehouse instead of sending them directly from China. This significantly reduces logistics costs and speeds up delivery times.

Conclusion

In this article, I discussed two different models from two different countries. The Indian model focuses on encouraging domestic production, while the Chinese model focuses on promoting exports. However, when you look closely, both models serve the same ultimate goal: turning their countries into global manufacturing hubs. They can be seen as two sides of the same coin.

India can be compared to China’s earlier development stages. Its primary goal is to increase domestic production and reduce imports of finished goods. China, on the other hand, has largely solved its production challenges and is now focused on building global distribution networks to deliver products cheaply and efficiently worldwide. As emphasized earlier, both countries aim to support their domestic producers.

Unfortunately, the “0 Euro” model that has been introduced in Turkey and is set to be implemented on February 6 appears to benefit import intermediaries more than domestic producers. To support R&D activities in Turkey, solutions such as granting exemptions to universities, vocational schools, and certain companies could at least be considered.  

References and Further Reading:

Global RAM Crisis and Supply Chain Disruption: What is the Chip Crisis?
The Capacity War of Giants: Google, the Automotive Industry, and the Consumer's Dilemma