In September 2024, in his interview with Startup Centrum, our Managing Partner Erdem Mümtaz Hacıpaşaoğlu assessed the new customs regulation that came into force on August 21, 2024. The tax change brought into focus by TEMU — but which in fact affects many e-commerce platforms including Amazon and AliExpress — was at the center of the conversation.
The central thesis of the conversation was clear: the new customs regulation directly affects end-consumer costs in cross-border e-commerce, while redefining the business model and Turkey positioning of cross-border tech startups like TEMU.
What the regulation introduces
Under the new regime, the conversation covered changes to the exemption threshold and customs duty rates, the redrawing of the line between personal-use imports and commercial imports, and the need for cross-border platforms to re-examine their Turkey operating models.
End-consumer impact
The discussion turned to how the price impact, delivery-time changes and preference shifts introduced by the regulation will be experienced by end consumers — and which players in Turkey’s e-commerce landscape stand to gain or lose.
Implications for tech startups
The options before TEMU-like cross-border e-commerce startups — opening local warehouses, incorporating local entities, choosing logistics partners, and redesigning pricing architecture — were examined, along with the legal and operational consequences of each.
Highlights from this interview
- Regulation: Effective August 21, 2024
- Scope: Cross-border e-commerce, exemption threshold, customs duty
- Impact: End-consumer pricing and delivery experience
- Strategic choices: Local structuring, pricing architecture
