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Chinese e-commerce platform Temu has restarted shipments to Türkiye after moving to a company-led import structure following the removal of a low-value customs exemption, according to local media reports.
To run its local operations, the platform began working through a locally structured entity called WhaleCo, which handles the full import and customs clearance process on behalf of buyers. Under the updated system, customers pay applicable taxes at checkout, while the company completes customs procedures and delivers parcels directly to registered addresses.
With the new setup, WhaleCo acts as the formal importer in Türkiye, meaning goods enter the country under commercial import status rather than as individual consumer shipments. Instead of buyers filing customs declarations themselves, the company submits entries in its own name and clears the shipments for final delivery.
The platform also introduced a minimum order threshold, and purchases with a total basket value below ₺580 ($13.29) are not processed under the new system, according to the reports.
Product variety appears limited in the early phase of the rollout, with the range expected to expand over time as operations stabilize under the revised import model.
The change follows the government’s cancellation of simplified customs clearance for products priced under €30, which had allowed many low-value packages to enter Türkiye without regular import duties. The move was linked to product safety concerns, including tests showing some imported items contained unsafe substances, as well as pressure from local industry groups that said the duty-free rule disadvantaged domestic manufacturers by allowing large volumes of low-priced foreign goods into the market.
The measure took full effect on Feb. 6, 2026, effectively ending the duty-free channel that had supported cross-border online shopping from China on platforms such as Temu and others.
After the exemption was removed, Temu paused shipments from overseas warehouses to Türkiye. Following regulatory scrutiny, including an inspection by Türkiye’s Competition Authority in late January, the platform temporarily disabled international product listings and showed only domestically stocked items to shoppers in Türkiye.
The platform also continued to list products offered solely by local sellers who fulfill and ship orders within Türkiye.
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