Quick Tips for Logistics Professionals
- The customs union between the European Union and Turkey, and Turkey’s position at the gateway to Europe, offer privileged conditions for importers and exporters alike.
- Ro-ro, containerized maritime transport, air freight, road, river or rail transport: the transport options are particularly rich and efficient, for those who know how to choose the one best suited to their price/delivery/security constraints.
- The ports of Sète, Marseille and Fos-sur-mer on the one hand, and the airports of Paris-CDG, Lyon-LYS, Nice-NCE and Marseille-MRS on the other, are the main points of entry into France and Europe, and MATHEZ FREIGHT is present everywhere.
- Proof of the customs status of goods in free circulation is provided by a movement certificate (ATR), the details of which must be precise.
- For the best choice of incoterms and smooth customs management, it’s best to consult a specialist. Contact us!
A HIGHLY FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR TRADE WITH TURKEY
The Customs Union and the free movement of goods between the EU and Turkey
As a historical hub of international trade between Europe, Asia and Africa, Turkey benefits not only from a favorable geographical position, but also from privilegedtrade agreements – see details on the European Commission website or the French Customs website.
- customs union with the European Union (EU) since 1996 for all products other than agricultural products, coal and steel – these products are covered bypreferential agreements based on origin.
- Pan-European system of cumulation of origin for Turkish industrial products, including processed agricultural products and coal and steel products.
Products from third countries for which import formalities have been completed and duties paid in the EU or Turkey are considered as goods in free circulation in the EU/Turkey customs union. This status must be established by an A.TR. circulation certificate.
Main imports/exports from Turkey
The Turkish economy is very open – foreign trade accounts for 48% of its GDP. Trade between France and Turkey, worth over 20 billion euros (on the rise for 30 years, +20% by 2022), illustrates the complementary nature of the two economies:
- France imports from Turkey in particular automotive products (spare parts and finished vehicles, especially buses and trucks), textile, leather and clothing products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemical and metal products, precious stones and metals, aeronautical products, …
- France’s main exports to Turkey are pharmaceutical and chemical products, industrial machinery and equipment, food products, cosmetics and consumer goods, etc. The aeronautical sector is on the rise.
- France is also one of Turkey’s leading foreign investors, with over 400 companies operating in the country, representing an investment of more than 5 billion euros. These investments often target the European market.
These major flows are found throughout Western Europe.
If China is the world’s factory, Turkey is in many ways Europe’s workshop.
Example: the booming import of Turkish stone
The world’s leading producer of natural stones, Turkey also has the world’s largest reserves. Its tradition and expertise in stone, marble, travertine and, more generally, interior and exterior paving, is prized by architects, retailers and construction companies alike. An International Marble and Stone Fair is held every April in Izmir, from where container ships depart for Fos or Marseille.
Proximity to Turkey and trade agreements have boosted imports. While supplies from China and India have, since the Covid crisis, been burdened by health controls (PIF), disruptions to container rotations, rising freight rates and traffic difficulties on the Red Sea, Turkey stands out for its proximity, synonymous with speed and affordability. Compared with other Mediterranean countries such as Egypt, the EU/Turkey customs union still offers an appreciable advantage in terms of customs.
International transport of stone requires a volume-based approach, i.e. by sea, with equipment adapted to handling heavy loads, and precautionary and safety measures in line with the fragility and, in some cases, the value of the stones.
Laetitia Danon, stone import specialist for MATHEZ FREIGHT in Marseille.
WHICH MODE OF TRANSPORT FOR YOUR IMPORTS/EXPORTS TO TURKEY?
At MATHEZ FREIGHT, we can offer you all possible modes of transport between France and Turkey. However, our experience leads us to recommend the following transport options, depending on the type of goods involved.
Preferred modes of transport between France and Turkey
- Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) is unquestionably the most efficient mode of transport for standard import and export goods, with an excellent price/time ratio. It enables the load to be transported from the departure plant to the arrival warehouse in one go, on a single truck, with transit on a roll-on/roll-off vessel.
- Door-to-door transit time is 5 to 10 days between Turkey and France, depending on location, with only 3 days by sea between the port of Yalova (opposite Istanbul) and the port of Sète – with DFDS operating 5 days out of 7.
- The port of Sète offers Ro-Ro services to all of France and Northern Europe, while the port of Trieste in Italy serves Germany, Holland, Central Europe and Northeastern France.
- As Ro-Ro is an extremely fast modality, it is essential to ensure the same agility in transit time at the port of arrival, with extremely efficient advance management of customs formalities.
- Containerized shipping is another affordable option, particularly suited to heavy and bulky loads.
- With its ideal geographical position, Turkey has numerous ports, notably in Istanbul (new port of Ambarli, Gebze), Mersin, Izmir and Gemlik (Tekirdag), and lines serving some twenty transit ports in Europe, starting with Fos, Marseille and Le Havre.
- Transit times are relatively longer, due to multiple stopovers in Turkey, Italy and Spain before arriving in port. Operations are also complicated by customs and port formalities. Transit times of 8 to 15 days from plant to plant, depending on location – 5 days at sea between Izmir and Fos-sur-Mer, 2 more days from Istanbul, 8 days from Izmir to Cetare in Italy.
- Shippers use FCL (Full Container Load) containers for bulky goods.
- Few shipping companies offer containers between France and Turkey. Only MSC offers direct service to Le Havre. Marseille offers more options: Arkas, MSC, Maersk, Turkon, Borchard, CMA CGM.
A limited number of containers, rates fixed by the week: only specialized freight forwarders with the volumes have access to rates and capacities. MATHEZ FREIGHT: contact us.
- Air transport is the fastest, safest and most suitable for small consignments or fragile and/or valuable goods.
- More expensive per kilo/volume, air transport is sometimes less flexible than sea transport, with restrictions on the type of goods. Import flows mainly concern automotive parts (OEM market), clothing (behind schedule) and medical goods (e.g. dental prostheses).
- A few hours’ flight: factory rendering takes 2 to 4 days.
- We have various airline options, starting with Turkish Airlines, Air France, Pegasus with routes between Istanbul (Atatürk) and Ankara (Esenboga) on the one hand, and Paris-CDG and ORY, Lyon LYS, Nice NCE and Marignane MRS on the other.
MATHEZ FREIGHT is the only French forwarder present at all major French airports (CDG, ORY, LYS, MRS), at the ports of Sète for Ro-Ro, and Marseille and Fos for containerized freight. To choose the mode of transport best suited to your needs: contact us.
Other modes of transport France/Turkey
Other modes of transport are possible between France and Turkey, for specific goods or contexts:
- Less Than Container Load ( LCL ) consolidation, in principle suitable for small consignments with no major time constraints, is rarely used in Turkey, as truck consolidation is faster and less costly.
- Road (overland) transport: inexpensive and fairly fast (around ten days from factory to factory), but with a few drawbacks for non-border countries: customs inspection times, risk of accidents, transit procedures, etc. The rise in the price of kerosene has made this mode of transport more expensive, to the benefit of Ro-Ro, particularly for Southern Europe.
- Specialized transport is possible for gaseous, liquid, cereal and cement products on specially adapted vessels.
- River transport is possible for containers arriving from Fos or Marseille to Lyon, or to Le Havre on the Seine.
- Rail transport is also available from Fos-Marseille to Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, Paris, Nancy, Strasbourg, Duisburg, Worms, Rotterdam, etc. From Sète to Luxembourg, Poland and England, via Calais.
What are the incoterms for your imports/exports with Turkey?
The incoterms define the transfer of transport risks and responsibilities.
Companies trading with Turkey tend to prefer EXW, FOB, DAP incoterms. And yet, as we keep explaining, it’ s better to avoid EXW exports and master your incoterms.
Export customs from your warehouse, centralize your import documents with a single forwarder, secure your customs compliance: consult us.
Special feature: for your imports from Turkey to France, the Ex Works incoterm is duty-free. In fact, Turkey has “customs officers in chambers”, i.e. companies that only make customs declarations (as in Morocco). As a result, the forwarder does not handle customs: the customs declaration is made directly between the shipper and the declarant.
HOW TO MANAGE CUSTOMS WITH TURKEY?
As transport from Turkey is fast, particularly in Ro-Ro, we need to ensure that customs formalities run smoothly to keep transit time to a minimum.
- The Customs Union with Turkey exempts industrial products from customs duties, but not from customs formalities.
- Proof of the customs status of goods in free circulation is established by a movement certificate known as an ATR.
Please note: anti-dumping and countervailing duties, as well as additional duties, remain applicable.
ATR, Turkey/EU free movement certificates: changes on April 25, 2024
- As a reminder, the ATR is not a proof of origin, but of the status of the goods: it certifies that they have been manufactured in the EU or Turkey OR that they have paid customs duties in the EU or Turkey. It’s a certificate of free circulation.
- To obtain an ATR, operators must provide the customs service with documentary evidence of their free circulation status.
- Applications for ATR can be made by their Registered Customs Representative (RDE), accompanied by a power of attorney at the time of filing.
Over the past few weeks, a number of French exporters and transport/customs service providers have seen their goods blocked in customs in Turkey, due to non-standard ATR certificates. On April 24, 2024, Customs issued a note to operators specifying the mandatory information:
- When exporting from Turkey, ATRs must be marked CE or European Community pre-printed in box 4
- When exporting from France, only the words CE or European Community is valid in box 4 (and not Communauté économique européenne or Union européenne). However, following a translation error in the French version, the European Commission has authorized the use of the old forms with the mention CEE until the decision evolves (date unknown at this stage). A derogation has been granted by the Commission for ATRs printed with the EU wording, incorrect to date, in order to clear stocks until 31.12.2024. We hope that Turkish customs officials will apply these derogations.
Only specialized forwarding agents who are present at key points in France and know the best Turkish partners can be extremely efficient in managing customs formalities in advance.
CHOOSING THE BEST FRANCE-TURKEY FREIGHT FORWARDER
The best forwarder is the one who can satisfy the following criteria:
- a presence at all the French ports and airports concerned,
- the ability to use all available means of transport,
- the experience to provide you with advice tailored to your merchandise and your price, delivery and safety constraints,
- a network of proven partners in Turkey,
- an in-depth knowledge of the Turkish truck and logistics market,
- reliability backed by our customs approvals, AEO approval, DGR approval, and connection to dematerialized customs platforms,
- comprehensive logistical services, so you don’t have to waste time dealing with multiple parties.
MATHEZ FREIGHT is the only French forwarder to offer you all this, and more!
