Tercan Legal guides for Chinese clients · 02 · Updated October 2026
Arrival in Türkiye does not mean the goods can be handed to the buyer straight away. Clearance can be delayed by the buyer, the documents, the product itself or the import rules. This guide is for Chinese manufacturers, exporters, suppliers and trading companies selling to Türkiye.
Why goods get stuck at Turkish customs
- The buyer has not started clearance. The buyer stops replying, lacks funds, does not want to pay the import costs or has decided not to take the goods.
- Classification. The GTİP code used in the declaration differs from the classification Turkish customs considers correct.
- Origin or documents. The certificate of origin, commercial invoice, transport documents or other papers are incomplete, inconsistent or need verification.
- Licences or compliance checks. Some products are subject to product safety rules, technical regulations, licences, inspections or other import controls.
- Additional duties or trade measures. Depending on classification and origin, additional customs duty, anti-dumping duty or other trade policy measures may apply.
- Customs value. The declared customs value may be reviewed or disputed.
Do not just wait for the buyer to say “we are handling it”. Find out quickly: where are the goods, has a declaration been filed, what is the customs status, who holds the transport documents, and are storage or demurrage charges already running?
Who controls clearance, and what can the exporter do?
In an ordinary China–Türkiye sale the Turkish buyer is normally the importer, so the Chinese exporter is not necessarily in a position to control the Turkish customs procedure directly. What is possible depends on the structure of the deal, the transport documents, the status of the declaration and the legal position of each party.
When a problem arises, confirm four things:
- Has the buyer filed an import declaration?
- Has the Turkish customs broker started work?
- Are the goods still in temporary storage, a bonded warehouse or another form of customs supervision?
- Has customs released the goods into free circulation?
For sea freight, check the bill of lading at once. Who holds the original B/L? How was it issued? Has there been a telex release? Has delivery been authorised? An exporter that still controls the key transport documents usually has more commercial options than one that has released them unconditionally.
Holding the bill of lading does not by itself give the right to deal with the Turkish customs procedure. Payment terms, control of the B/L and import arrangements should be designed together before shipment.
GTİP, origin and import measures
GTİP (Gümrük Tarife İstatistik Pozisyonu) is the 12-digit customs tariff code used in Türkiye. It affects customs duty and other taxes, product inspections, import licences, additional duties, anti-dumping and other trade measures.
The HS code on the Chinese export documents is not necessarily the final Turkish classification. The first six digits of the GTİP follow the international Harmonized System, but Türkiye uses twelve, and the code on Chinese documents does not bind Turkish customs. Where classification is uncertain, it should be assessed before shipment by the Turkish importer or another appropriate party; in suitable cases binding tariff information (BTB) can be requested for greater certainty.
Origin matters as well. The country of origin is not always the country of dispatch, and origin can affect duties, anti-dumping measures, safeguards and other trade policy measures. Check the applicable duties, measures and product requirements for the specific product, GTİP, origin and planned import date.
What if the buyer refuses to clear the goods?
1. Establish the current status. Contact the carrier or forwarder, the buyer, the customs broker and the warehouse to confirm whether a declaration has been filed, which customs procedure the goods are under and what charges have accrued.
2. Confirm who controls the transport documents. Who holds the bill of lading and other key documents determines how many options remain.
3. Assess return or other solutions. Depending on the stage, return to the place of dispatch (mahrece iade), re-export or another lawful customs treatment can be assessed. These are not available automatically at every stage; they generally depend on statutory conditions and customs permission.
The earlier the status is established, the better the chance of deciding before costs rise further.
If the buyer has already taken the goods and has not paid, the problem is no longer only a customs one. See guide 01: Debt collection in Türkiye for Chinese companies.
Customs deadlines
Goods cannot stay under customs supervision indefinitely while the buyer makes up its mind. Goods that entered under a summary declaration generally have to be assigned a customs-approved treatment or use within a set time:
| 45 days | Sea freight (as a rule) |
|---|---|
| 20 days | Other modes of transport (as a rule) |
Time generally runs from the date of the summary declaration or, where that declaration was lodged before arrival, from presentation of the goods to customs. An extension can be requested in writing where the conditions are met.
If no customs procedure is started in time, the goods may by law be placed in liquidation (tasfiye) and may be disposed of, for example by public auction. Meanwhile storage, container demurrage, return freight and other commercial costs keep growing.
So ask not only “when will the buyer clear the goods?” but also “how many days are left before the customs deadline, and what is our alternative if the buyer does nothing today?”
Reducing the risk before shipment
- Check the importer. Verify the Turkish buyer’s company details, whether it is trading and whether it meets the conditions for importing the product.
- Check the GTİP. Do not simply reuse an old HS code. For high-value, technical or regulated goods, confirm the Turkish classification and import requirements before shipping.
- Check origin and product requirements. Confirm origin documents, product certification, technical regulations, import licences, safety inspections and any trade measures in advance.
- Design payment and document control. Weigh advance payment, letters of credit, documentary collection, staged payment and control of the bill of lading against the risk. Payment terms should not be considered separately from logistics.
- Use Incoterms properly. State who is responsible for transport, insurance, import clearance, duties and import costs, and when risk passes. Incoterms do not replace a full sales contract and payment security.
- Deal with non-clearance in the contract. What happens if the buyer refuses or delays clearance? Who pays the extra storage and logistics costs? What alternative steps may the exporter take? How is non-payment pursued?
How Tercan Legal can help
Chinese companies exporting to Turkish buyers: legal options when goods are held; contract issues arising from refusal to clear or to pay; legal risk on GTİP, origin and import requirements; the legal framework for return and other customs solutions; contract, payment and risk structure for future deals.
Chinese companies with a Turkish company or importing directly: classification disputes; customs valuation disputes; objections to customs penalties; customs litigation.
If your goods are held in Türkiye now, have these ready: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or transport documents, sales contract or purchase order, origin documents, customs or warehouse documents, and the main correspondence with the buyer and the logistics providers.
Contact Tercan Legal
Tercan Legal is an Istanbul law firm that has advised foreign clients from more than 40 countries since 2013 and acts in matters throughout Türkiye. Matters are handled by lawyers registered with the Istanbul Bar; the founding lawyer spent years as in-house counsel to banks. Written materials can be provided in Chinese, and the language of day-to-day communication is agreed before engagement.
The first step is a free 20-minute online introductory meeting. Document review, written opinions and detailed consultations are charged, on terms agreed in writing beforehand.
Send us a message with a time that suits you for a call: WhatsApp / Telegram +90 506 689 97 22 · WeChat: ImmigrationLawFirmTR · info@tercanlegal.com.
Legal notice: this guide gives general information on Turkish law. It is not legal advice on any specific matter and reading it does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Laws and administrative practice change; each matter should be confirmed against the rules in force and its own facts. Nothing here is an opinion on Chinese law.
Frequently asked questions
How long can goods stay at Turkish customs if the buyer does not clear them?
As a rule, a customs-approved treatment or use has to be assigned within 45 days of the summary declaration for sea freight and 20 days for other modes. An extension can be requested where the conditions are met; otherwise the goods may go into liquidation.
Can the goods be returned to China if the buyer rejects them?
Depending on the customs stage, return to the place of dispatch or re-export can be assessed. These options are subject to statutory conditions and should be assessed early.
Is the Chinese HS code valid in Türkiye?
Türkiye uses a 12-digit GTİP code whose first six digits follow the international HS. The code on Chinese export documents does not bind Turkish customs, which decides the final classification.
