Chinese e-commerce giant Temu has resumed operations in Turkey after suspending cross-border shipments earlier this month – a disruption that was linked to a Turkish government decision to remove simplified customs procedures for low-cost goods.
Temu initially limited sales in Turkey to items already in its local warehouses. Now, its Turkish subsidiary Whaleco Turkey Teknoloji A.Ş. will handle the import processes directly, making the platform an official importer in the Eurasian country. Thus, users will no longer have to handle individual customs formalities for their orders, Turkish media reported.
Taxes will be collected at the time of purchase from the customer, and the company itself will take care of import and customs clearance, eliminating the need for customers to hire intermediaries or face additional costs. WhaleCo Turkey Teknoloji is a subsidiary that was established a year ago, but until now has had very limited activity.
An end to preferential treatment for Temu
Industry representatives say that with this change, Temu will be subject to the same safety controls and regulatory obligations as other importers, ending the preferential treatment it previously enjoyed in Türkiye.
Users will complete their online shopping procedures by paying the corresponding taxes during the process, while the products will be cleared through customs under the company’s responsibility and delivered directly to their homes. However, as the company will assume the payment of import duties, this is expected to influence the final prices of the products.
Changes to the catalogue and minimum purchase amount
As part of the new adjustments to comply with Turkish regulations, the minimum order value of the Temu shopping cart has also been changed to 580 Turkish Liras, equivalent to 11 euros. Products will continue to be shipped from foreign suppliers, although with the new system some items that were previously available on the platform are no longer available in the catalogue.
A new customs regulation published in the Turkish Official Gazette, which came into force on 6 February 2026, established the abolition of the customs exemption for individual purchases of up to 30 euros. Following this decision, the well-known e-commerce platform Temu surprised its customers in Turkey by immediately announcing the cessation of its international sales to the country, stating that it would only operate by distributing orders from its warehouse on Turkish territory.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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