İthalat Genel Müdürlüğü (Directorate General of Imports): Türkiye Import Policy Guide
How the General Directorate of Imports inside the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade writes and applies the import rules: the Import Regime Decree and Import Communiqués, the trade defence instruments, tariff quotas and suspensions, import surveillance, and the İthalatBİS document applications that a Philippine apparel exporter has to know.
- Authority
- İthalat Genel Müdürlüğü (General Directorate of Imports)
- Parent ministry
- T.C. Ticaret Bakanlığı (Ministry of Trade)
- Core instrument
- İthalat Rejimi Kararı (Import Regime Decree)
- Official portal
- ticaret.gov.tr and trade.gov.tr
What the General Directorate of Imports Does
The İthalat Genel Müdürlüğü is the imports directorate of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade. Where the customs directorate enforces the entry at the border, this directorate sets the policy that the entry is measured against: the Import Regime Decree, the annual Import Communiqués, the tariff measures, the trade defence instruments and the import surveillance lists.
The policy directorate, not the border office
This directorate prepares the legal texts that govern every import. The Ministry of Trade publishes them in the Official Gazette, and a licensed Turkish customs broker then applies them to a specific consignment at the port of entry. A change made here can raise a duty, add a quota, or place a product under surveillance months before it reaches a Philippine loading port.
- Prepared hereImport Regime Decree and Import Communiqués
- Applied at the borderBy the customs directorate and the broker
- Read by exportersBecause measures move with the annual cycle
The trade defence authority
Türkiye applies its own trade policy defence instruments. The directorate runs the investigations into dumping and subsidies, the safeguard inquiries, the surveillance of import volumes, and the reviews that check whether a measure has been circumvented. A definitive measure can add a duty on top of the ordinary tariff for the covered exporter.
- Anti dumpingDamping vergisi
- CountervailingSübvansiyon telafi edici vergi
- SafeguardKorunma önlemi
The Instruments the Directorate Publishes
Türkiye's import policy sits in a small set of texts. The directorate drafts them, the Ministry of Trade issues them, and they take effect on publication in the Official Gazette. For an exporter the practical question is always which version is in force on the date the goods are declared.
Import Regime Decree
The İthalat Rejimi Kararı is the yearly framework. It sets the customs duty schedule, the preferential rates, the additional customs duty, the countries and goods that need an import permit, and the measures that apply in the period it covers. A new decree is normally issued for each calendar year.
Import Communiqués
The İthalat Tebliğleri carry the operating detail: the product lists under surveillance, the registration procedures, the tariff quota rules, the conditions for used or refurbished goods, and the document requirements for specific categories. A communiqué can be added or amended during the year.
The Official Gazette cycle
Every text takes effect when it is published in the Resmî Gazete. This is why an exporter should not rely on a summary: the live position is the gazetted text as amended, and a measure can change between the date a price is quoted and the date the shipment lands.
The Six Tools the Directorate Runs
Türkiye's trade defence toolkit covers unfair pricing, subsidies, import surges and the evasion of measures. Each tool has its own investigation and its own effect at the border, and each one can add a charge on top of the ordinary customs duty.
Anti dumping duty
Applied when an investigation finds that goods are sold into Türkiye below their normal value and that domestic producers are injured. A definitive anti dumping duty is charged per unit or ad valorem on the covered product and exporter.
Unfair pricing remedyCountervailing duty
Applied where a foreign producer benefits from a specific subsidy and that subsidy causes injury. The countervailing duty offsets the benefit at the border, and the subsidy programmes are examined country by country.
Subsidy offsetSafeguard measures
Applied to a surge in imports that causes or threatens serious injury, whether or not the pricing is unfair. A safeguard can take the form of a higher duty or a quantitative restriction, and it is normally temporary.
Import surge responseImport surveillance
Registration and monitoring of specific products, so the directorate can see import volumes and values as they move. Surveillance is not itself a duty, but it is the early warning system that can precede a safeguard or a quota.
Monitoring and registrationTariff quota
A volume of goods admitted at a lower or suspended duty, above which the normal rate applies. The quota can be allocated to importers or released on a first come basis at the customs office.
Conditional reliefCircumvention review
An investigation into whether a measure is being avoided, for example through a minor transformation or a change of origin route. If circumvention is found, the measure can be extended to the goods or the route used to avoid it.
Anti evasion controlThe Lifecycle of a Trade Defence Measure
A trade defence measure follows a defined sequence, with publication at each stage. Knowing where a product sits in the sequence helps an exporter judge whether a new charge is likely before the next order is contracted.
Complaint or application
A domestic industry, or the directorate on its own initiative, submits an application with evidence of dumping, subsidy or injury.
Investigation
The directorate opens an investigation, sends questionnaires to exporters and importers, and examines prices, costs and injury.
Provisional measure
Where the preliminary findings justify it, a provisional duty can be imposed for a limited period while the investigation continues.
Definitive measure
A final determination sets the definitive duty, its rate or amount, and the covered product and exporters, usually for five years.
Review or expiry
Before expiry the directorate can run an expiry review, and at any time it can review whether the measure is still needed or is being circumvented.
Tariff Quotas, Suspensions and Allocation
Alongside the duties, the directorate runs the mechanisms that can lower the charge for a defined volume of goods. These are controlled, time limited and tied to a product and a period, so the allocation detail matters as much as the rate.
Askıya alma ve tarife kontenjanı
A suspension or a tariff quota admits a set quantity of goods at a reduced or zero duty. Once the quota volume is used, later shipments fall back to the ordinary rate. For apparel the scope is narrow and product specific, so a quota on one tariff line does not carry to another.
- BasisProduct, volume and period
- EffectLower duty inside the quota
- Outside the quotaThe normal rate applies
How a quota is allocated
Some quotas are allocated to importers in advance, and others are released by the customs offices on the BSGTY principle, which grants the quota according to the order in which the declarations are filed. On a first come basis the timing of the entry decides who gets the benefit.
- BSGTYAllocation by declaration order
- Supervised byThe customs offices at entry
- Practical effectEarly filing wins the lower rate
What This Means for a Philippine Apparel Consignment
Türkiye is in a customs union with the European Union, but the Philippines is outside it, so a garment shipment from the Philippines is assessed under Türkiye's own import regime. The directorate's measures decide the duty environment into which the consignment lands.
Registration risk on textiles
Türkiye uses import surveillance on selected products, and textiles are a category the directorate watches. Where a product is under surveillance, the importer may have to register the import and report the value and volume, which adds a step before the goods move.
Additional customs duty interaction
Türkiye applies an additional customs duty on many textile and apparel lines in HS Chapters 51 to 63, which sits on top of the ordinary tariff. A trade defence measure, where it applies, adds a further layer, so the effective rate may be well above the published tariff line.
The GSP preference channel
Türkiye's own GSP scheme lists the Philippines as a beneficiary and covers textiles and apparel. Where the origin rules are met and the goods move directly, the preference can lower the customs duty layer, but it does not remove the additional customs duty or the import VAT.
The İthalatBİS Document Set
Some imports need a document from the directorate before they can be declared. These applications run through İthalatBİS, the import document transactions system, and the underlying file is prepared by the exporter so the Turkish importer can apply in time.
The electronic system where a Turkish importer or its authorised agent files for the import documents the regime requires. The application is matched to the product and the tariff line, so the goods description and the commercial documents have to be exact.
A permit document required for goods that the Import Communiqués place under a certificate obligation. It authorises the import of the named product and is presented with the customs declaration.
Used where a reduced rate or a relief depends on the goods being put to a specific use. The certificate ties the favourable treatment to that use, and a later change of use can trigger a duty assessment.
Importing used or refurbished goods requires a permit from the directorate under a separate procedure. New made to order apparel falls outside this route, but the category is worth knowing when a mixed consignment is planned.
İthalat Genel Müdürlüğü and Import Policy FAQ
Practical answers on the imports directorate, the Import Regime, the trade defence instruments and the documents a Philippine garment exporter prepares for Türkiye.
What is the İthalat Genel Müdürlüğü?
The İthalat Genel Müdürlüğü, the General Directorate of Imports, is the imports directorate of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade. It prepares the Import Regime Decree and the Import Communiqués, runs Türkiye's trade policy defence instruments, and manages the tariff quota, surveillance and import document procedures that shape how goods enter the country.
How is it different from the Gümrükler Genel Müdürlüğü?
The İthalat Genel Müdürlüğü writes the import rules, and the Gümrükler Genel Müdürlüğü applies them at the border. The imports directorate sets the Import Regime, the duty schedules, the quotas, the surveillance lists and the trade defence measures, while the customs directorate runs the customs offices, the BİLGE declaration platform and the inspection lanes. Both sit inside the Ministry of Trade.
What is the Import Regime Decree?
The İthalat Rejimi Kararı is the yearly framework for Türkiye's import policy. It sets the customs duty schedule and the preferential rates, the additional customs duty, the goods and countries that need an import permit, and the measures in force for the period. It is normally issued for each calendar year and supported by Import Communiqués that add or amend the operating detail during the year.
What are Türkiye's trade defence instruments?
Türkiye applies anti dumping duties where goods are sold below normal value and cause injury, countervailing duties where a specific foreign subsidy causes injury, and safeguard measures where an import surge causes or threatens serious injury. The directorate also runs import surveillance, tariff quotas and suspensions, and reviews whether an existing measure is being circumvented. A definitive measure adds a charge on top of the ordinary customs duty.
Does import surveillance apply to apparel from the Philippines?
Türkiye uses import surveillance on selected products, and textiles are a category the directorate monitors. Surveillance is not itself a duty, but where a product is listed the importer may have to register the import and report the value and volume before the goods move. The product scope is set in the Import Communiqués, so the exact position depends on the tariff line and the period, and the Turkish importer or broker should confirm it for the shipment at hand.
What is a tariff quota and how is it allocated?
A tariff quota admits a set quantity of goods at a reduced or suspended duty, after which the ordinary rate applies. Some quotas are allocated to importers in advance, and others are released by the customs offices on the BSGTY principle, which grants the quota according to the order in which the declarations are filed. On a first come basis the timing of the entry decides who receives the lower rate.
What documents does the directorate issue through İthalatBİS?
İthalatBİS is the import document transactions system. Through it the importer applies for the documents the regime requires, including the import certificate (ithal şehadetnamesi) where a product is under a certificate obligation, the final use certificate (nihai kullanım sertifikası) where relief depends on the use of the goods, and the permit for used or refurbished goods. The Turkish importer of record files the application, using the exporter's invoice, packing list and product description.
Contact Our Türkiye Import Policy Desk
Talk to our international trade team about Turkish import policy readiness, tariff line checks, trade defence exposure, İthalatBİS document preparation, and apparel orders bound for Türkiye.
Sourcing the goods in the Philippines
Apparel for Türkiye is produced and consolidated in the Philippines, with export containers moving through the Davao International Container Terminal (DICT) and the Hijo Special Economic Zone (HSEZ) in Davao del Norte, then on to Istanbul or the Aegean. We coordinate the order, the labels and the export documents from one desk.