There is no single import duty on goods from Turkey. There are three answers, and which one applies to you depends on where the goods land rather than on what they are. A European buyer pays nothing. A British buyer pays nothing. An American buyer pays the ordinary rate, which on apparel runs from single digits to over thirty percent, plus an additional 12.5 percent since 24 July 2026.
That spread is why generic duty calculators mislead on this route. They ask for the origin and the product and give you a number, and on Turkish goods the destination is doing most of the work.
Which certificate does what, and who issues it, is covered in the export documents guide. This guide covers the actual rates by destination, how classification changes what you owe, how to work a garment through the calculation, and the situations where the relief you expected does not arrive.
Note: Turkey Clothing Factory is a group of documented clothing factories in Turkey, producing for brands from 100 units. Ranges in this guide are given as market ranges, not as quotes from a specific factory. Ranges come from published industry sources. We confirm exact MOQ and price with the factory when you send a brief.
Key takeaways
- EU: zero. Under the Customs Union, with an A.TR movement certificate.
- UK: zero on most textiles and clothing under the 2021 agreement, subject to rules of origin.
- US: the ordinary rate plus 12.5 percent. No preferential arrangement exists. Ordinary apparel rates commonly sit between 10 and 32 percent, and a Section 301 tariff of 12.5 percent has applied on top since 24 July 2026.
- Duty is charged on customs value, which is not the same as the price on your invoice.
- Classification drives the rate more than material does. Knit and woven versions of the same garment sit under different codes.
- The relief fails in three predictable ways, and all three are fabric or paperwork, not the rate itself.
- For a US buyer, duty is often the second largest line in the landed cost after the garment.
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What Is the Import Duty on Clothing From Turkey?
Zero into the European Union under the Customs Union, zero into the United Kingdom on qualifying goods, and the full ordinary rate plus an additional 12.5 percent into the United States. The EU and Turkey have operated a customs union covering all industrial goods since 1996 (European Commission), and apparel sits inside it. Nothing similar exists with the US. How the EU-Turkey Customs Union works explains what it covers and why it tests free circulation rather than origin.
| Destination | Rate on qualifying goods | Condition | If the condition fails |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | 0 percent | A.TR movement certificate accompanies the goods | Ordinary rate, roughly 12 percent on most apparel |
| United Kingdom | 0 percent | Goods meet preferential rules of origin | Ordinary rate, roughly 8 to 12 percent |
| United States | Ordinary rate plus 12.5 percent (Section 301) | None available | Not applicable. There is no relief to lose |
Sources: European Commission Access2Markets; UK Government summary of the UK-Turkey trade agreement; USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule; USTR Section 301 notice of July 2026. Rates are indicative for textiles and clothing and vary by classification.
The asymmetry is the whole story. For a European or British brand, duty on Turkish goods is a paperwork exercise with a zero at the end. For an American brand it is a real and recurring cost that has to be modelled from the first quote, because it will not go away and there is no arrangement to apply for.
Citation Capsule: Import duty on clothing from Turkey is zero into the European Union under the Customs Union, when accompanied by an A.TR movement certificate. It is zero into the United Kingdom under the 2021 agreement, where the goods meet preferential rules of origin. Into the United States no preferential arrangement exists, so the full ordinary Harmonized Tariff Schedule rate applies, plus an additional 12.5 percent on products of Türkiye under Section 301 since 24 July 2026.
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How Much Does a US Importer Actually Pay?
The ordinary rate for the product plus an additional 12.5 percent. Ordinary rates run from roughly 10 to 32 percent on most apparel, driven by classification rather than by value, and since 24 July 2026 products of Türkiye also pay 12.5 percent under the Section 301 action (heading 9903.05.79, USITC; USTR). Cotton knit T-shirts sit at 16.5 percent ordinary, so 29 percent in all. Man-made fibre garments generally sit higher. A few categories sit far lower. The code decides it. Cotton terry towels are one, as our Turkish towels wholesale guide explains.
| Garment | Typical basis | Indicative ordinary rate |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton knit T-shirt | Knit, cotton | 16.5 percent |
| Cotton woven shirt | Woven, cotton | Roughly 20 percent |
| Man-made fibre knit top | Knit, synthetic | Commonly around 32 percent |
| Cotton denim trousers | Woven, cotton | Roughly 16 percent |
| Terry towel, cotton | Made-up textile article | Commonly around 9 percent |
Indicative ordinary rates from the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule, given for orientation only. Rates change and depend on the exact classification of your product. Since 24 July 2026 products of Türkiye also pay an additional 12.5 percent under Section 301 on top of these ordinary rates (heading 9903.05.79), so a cotton knit T-shirt pays 29 percent in total. Always verify your own HTS code before committing.
Two things follow. First, the fibre decision has a duty consequence that can exceed the fabric price difference, so choosing polyester over cotton to save on cloth may cost more at the border than it saved at the mill. Second, knit and woven versions of the same garment are different codes, so a design change late in development can change your landed cost.
Citation Capsule: Ordinary United States duty rates on apparel from Turkey commonly range from roughly 9 percent on cotton terry towels to around 32 percent on man-made fibre knit garments, with cotton knit T-shirts at 16.5 percent under the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Since 24 July 2026 products of Türkiye also pay an additional 12.5 percent under Section 301. The ordinary rate is driven by tariff classification, which turns on construction and fibre content rather than on the value of the goods.
What Is Duty Charged On?
Customs value, and it is not simply the number on your invoice. Getting this wrong is a common and costly error, because it inflates or understates the base that every percentage is applied to, and it is one of the four inputs an online calculator usually assumes.
The US charges on FOB in most cases, meaning the price of the goods at the port of export, excluding international freight and insurance. That is favourable, and it means a CIF quotation needs unpacking before the calculation.
The EU and UK charge on CIF, which includes cost, insurance and freight to the border. Where relief applies this is moot, because the rate is zero. Where relief fails, the base is larger than a US importer would expect.
The practical instruction is to get the quotation broken out. A supplier quoting a single delivered number is not being evasive, and you cannot calculate duty from it without knowing what sits inside. Our guide to what drives a Turkish wholesale price covers the other lines of the quote.
Citation Capsule: Duty is charged on customs value rather than invoice total. The United States generally assesses on the FOB price at the port of export, excluding international freight and insurance, while the European Union and United Kingdom assess on CIF value including freight and insurance to the border. Quotations should be broken out before any duty calculation.
When Does the Zero Rate Fail to Arrive?
Three ways, and none of them concern the rate itself. Every relief failure on this route traces back to either a fabric decision or a document, which means every one of them is preventable weeks before the goods move and none of them can be fixed once the consignment is at the border. That is worth knowing early, because the fixes are cheap and the failures are not.
The fabric was not Turkish and the destination is the UK. The UK tests preferential origin, not free circulation (UK Government), and the claim has to be made at entry. A Turkish factory cutting and sewing imported cloth may not confer origin, depending on the rule for that product code. The EU does not care; the UK does.
The A.TR was not issued. Usually because the manufacturer was not the exporter of record and nobody established who was. The goods are entitled to relief and arrive without the evidence of it.
The documents disagree. Value, party names or description differ between invoice, certificate and packing list. Clearance stops and the relief is suspended while it is resolved, which costs days rather than duty.
| Failure | Destination affected | Cost | Prevent it at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imported fabric, origin not conferred | UK only | Roughly 8 to 12 percent | Fabric selection |
| No A.TR issued | EU only | Roughly 12 percent | Before the deposit |
| Document mismatch | EU and UK | Days of delay | Before loading |
| Wrong certificate for destination | UK mainly | Full ordinary rate | At specification |
Compiled from published customs guidance. Percentages are indicative ordinary rates for textiles and clothing and vary by classification.
Citation Capsule: Duty relief on Turkish apparel fails in three ways, none of which concern the rate itself. Imported fabric can prevent origin being conferred for United Kingdom shipments, an A.TR certificate may not be issued where the manufacturer is not the exporter of record, and mismatches between invoice, certificate and packing list suspend clearance.
Work your landed cost in this order
- Fix the destination first. It decides whether duty is a number or a zero
- Confirm the HTS or commodity code for the exact construction and fibre
- Establish the customs value basis: FOB for the US, CIF for the EU and UK
- Apply the rate only after the first three are settled
- Add freight, insurance and clearance separately. They are not duty
If you are selling into more than one of these markets, model each separately. A single blended landed cost hides the fact that one destination pays nothing and another pays a third of the garment.
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Can You Reclaim Duty Paid in Error?
Sometimes, and it is slower and less certain than preventing it. Where goods genuinely qualified for relief but the certificate was missing at the time of entry, most customs authorities allow a retrospective claim. Where the goods never qualified, there is nothing to reclaim.
The distinction is whether the entitlement existed. A shipment that was always entitled to zero duty under the Customs Union, and simply arrived without its A.TR, is an evidence problem. A retrospectively issued certificate can usually support a claim, and the exporter has to obtain it while storage runs at the destination.
Where origin genuinely failed, there is no claim. If the fabric was imported and the product rule was not met, the goods did not qualify for the United Kingdom preference. No paperwork fixes that, because the underlying condition was never satisfied.
Two practical limits are worth knowing. Claims run to a deadline that varies by jurisdiction, so a duty overpayment discovered a year later may be out of time. And the cost of preparing a claim is real, which for a small consignment can exceed the duty at stake.
The honest summary: treat reclaim as damage limitation rather than a strategy. It exists, it works for genuine evidence failures, and every hour spent on it would have been better spent on the four questions above.
Citation Capsule: Duty paid in error on Turkish goods may be reclaimed retrospectively where the goods genuinely qualified for relief and the certificate was merely missing at entry, since a retrospectively issued A.TR can support a claim. Where preferential origin was never conferred, no claim exists because the underlying condition was not met.
Does Zero Duty Make Turkey Cheaper Than Asia?
Into Europe, often. Into the United States, rarely. The honest comparison is landed cost with working capital counted rather than unit price compared side by side, and it lands differently depending on where you sell. That is the point this guide keeps returning to, and it is the reason a single blended sourcing decision usually serves one market well and the other badly.
Take a garment quoted at $6.00 FOB from Turkey and $5.00 FOB from an Asian supplier without EU tariff preferences. Into the EU, with an assumed $0.45 a piece for road freight, the Turkish goods land at about $6.45 with zero duty. With an assumed $0.60 a piece for sea freight, the Asian goods pay 12 percent duty on cost plus freight, about $0.67, and land at about $6.27, weeks later, with cash tied up in transit. The freight figures are illustrations, not quotes.
That is close enough that lead time decides it. Into the US the same comparison is not close: neither origin has a preference, Turkish goods pay the ordinary rate plus 12.5 percent under Section 301 and most Asian origins pay 10 or 12.5 percent under the same action, so the higher Turkish unit cost carries through and the main remaining argument is speed.
Where does this leave a brand selling into both? Usually splitting, with European volume from Turkey and US volume from wherever the landed cost works. That is more common than sourcing guides suggest, and it is a perfectly sound answer.
Citation Capsule: Zero duty makes Turkish apparel competitive against Asian origins for European and British buyers once short road freight and reduced working capital in transit are counted, even at a higher unit price. For United States buyers the comparison rarely favours Turkey, because neither origin has a preference, both generally pay ordinary duty plus a Section 301 tariff, and Turkish unit costs are higher.
What Should You Ask Your Supplier?
Four questions, and together they take one email to send. The answers decide your landed cost far more reliably than any negotiation on unit price will, because they determine whether the duty line exists at all rather than shaving a few cents off the garment. Ask them before sampling starts, not after the first quotation arrives.
Where is the fabric from? The single most important question for a UK buyer and irrelevant for an EU one. Ask it at specification, not after sampling.
Who is the exporter of record? That company issues the A.TR, and it may not be the company quoting you. If it is not your factory, your relief depends on a third party.
What is the FOB price, separately from freight? You cannot calculate duty from a delivered number, and for a US shipment the FOB figure is the base.
What classification do you use? The factory's view is not binding on your customs authority, and a disagreement is worth discovering early. Our guide to importing from Turkey sets out who carries that responsibility at each step.
Four questions, one email
- Where is the fabric from? Decisive for the UK, irrelevant for the EU
- Who is the exporter of record? That company issues the A.TR
- What is the FOB price, excluding freight? The US duty base
- What classification do you use? Their view is not binding on your customs authority
Send these before sampling starts. Every one of them is cheaper to answer now than to discover at the border.
Working Out What You Owe
Start with the destination, because on this route it does more work than the product does. Into the EU and UK the answer is zero if the paperwork is right, and the entire exercise becomes making sure it is. Into the US the answer is a real number that belongs in your margin model from the first quote.
Then settle the classification, because it moves the rate by more than any fabric saving is likely to. Knit against woven, cotton against man-made, and the difference between them can exceed twenty points.
And if relief matters to you, treat the fabric decision as a customs decision. It is the one that quietly removes the advantage you came for.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is import duty from Turkey to the UK?
Zero on most textile and clothing products under the agreement in force since 1 January 2021, provided the goods meet the preferential rules of origin. Where origin is not conferred, typically because the fabric was imported, the UK Global Tariff applies at an indicative 8 to 12 percent on most apparel.
How much is import duty from Turkey to the USA?
The ordinary Harmonized Tariff Schedule rate, because no preferential arrangement exists, plus an additional 12.5 percent on products of Türkiye under Section 301 since 24 July 2026. Indicative ordinary rates under the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule are 16.5 percent on cotton knit T-shirts, around 20 percent on cotton woven shirts and commonly around 32 percent on man-made fibre knit garments, so a cotton knit T-shirt pays 29 percent in total. Verify your own classification before committing.
Do I pay duty on clothing from Turkey to the EU?
No, provided an A.TR movement certificate accompanies the goods. The EU-Turkey Customs Union has covered all industrial goods including apparel since 1996, and the A.TR proves free circulation within it rather than proving Turkish origin.
Is duty charged on the invoice price?
On customs value, which is not the same thing. The United States generally assesses on FOB price at the port of export, excluding international freight and insurance. The European Union and United Kingdom assess on CIF value, which includes freight and insurance to the border.
Why did my Turkish shipment get charged duty?
Usually one of three reasons: the fabric was imported so origin was not conferred on a UK shipment, no A.TR was issued because the manufacturer was not the exporter of record, or the invoice and certificate disagreed and clearance was suspended. All three are preventable before shipping.
Send the product, the quantity and where the goods are landing. We place the brief with the factory in our group built for that product, normally within 24 hours, with the duty position for your destination stated up front. No commissions. No markups. The factory bills you directly.
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Editorial note: all company names, certification marks and trademarks referenced here are the property of their respective owners. MOQ, cost and lead-time figures are market ranges compiled from the published sources listed below, not quotes from any individual factory, and they vary by product, fabric and season. Tariff figures were checked against official sources on 24 October 2026 and the position continues to move. Always verify your own HTS classification and confirm terms directly with the factory before committing.
Sources
- Sheng Lu, FASH455, University of Delaware (2025): WTO-based analysis of global textile and apparel trade.
- US Census Bureau: Trade in Goods with Turkey, the official monthly import and export series.
- European Commission, Access2Markets: the EU-Turkey Customs Union and what it covers.
- European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union (2024): electronic A.TR movement certificate rules.
- Irish Revenue: Turkey Customs Union and preferential origin, including A.TR and EUR1 treatment.
- Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association: Turkish apparel export sector profile and membership.
- Global Organic Textile Standard: public database of GOTS-certified suppliers.
- Textile Exchange: certified company finder for recycled content and responsible fibre standards.
- OEKO-TEX Label Check: public verification of certificate numbers.
- amfori BSCI: social audit system documentation.
- USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule: the current classification schedule and duty rates.
- Office of the US Trade Representative (July 2026): fact sheet on the Section 301 action, which adds 12.5 percent to US duty on products of Türkiye entered from 24 July 2026 (HTS heading 9903.05.79).
- US Customs and Border Protection: tips for new importers, including importer-of-record responsibility.
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade (2025): EU trade relations with Turkey, including bilateral trade values and partner ranking.
- UK Government: summary of the UK-Turkey trade agreement, in force since 1 January 2021.
- UK Government: UK-Turkey trade agreement collection, including the rules of origin protocol.
