In an import decision, the most expensive surprises usually come from cost lines that were never planned. The cost can be planned in four groups: the product price and service fee, the inputs to the duty calculation, the freight + compliance + inland operating lines, and the gap between cash-flow and accounting cost.
Product price and service fee
In the coordination model, the product purchase price and TRADIQ's service fee are evaluated separately. In the model where TRADIQ acts as the importer and the domestic seller, the product sale price — and any separately agreed services — are set out in the offer.
Variables in the duty calculation
The duty calculation on an import into Türkiye is not a single fixed number; it is the combination of several variables. When building the calculation, these items should be explicit:
- GTİP — Customs Tariff Statistics Position (product-specific code).
- Origin — the country in which the product was produced.
- Customs value — the value declared to customs.
- Quantity or weight — the base against which the duty is computed.
- Delivery terms (Incoterm — FOB, CIF, DAP, etc.).
- Transaction date — the date of the customs declaration.
Rates can change during the year through communiqués published in the Official Gazette. Each purchasing decision is therefore evaluated against current regulations and together with experts such as the customs broker and the certified public accountant.
Freight, compliance and inland lines
Added to the total cost are freight (ocean/road/air), insurance, compliance/testing expenses (by product group), handling costs at the arrival port or land border, storage and inland delivery. Some product groups are subject to product-safety inspection on import; the current list is tracked through the Ministry of Trade's publications.
Cash-flow vs accounting cost
The cash required by the payment schedule may differ from the amounts that will flow into inventory cost or expenses. The conditions and timing for deductible or refundable taxes should be evaluated with a tax advisor; the budget should not be built on an assumed tax recovery alone.
Practical notes
- Before each purchase, are the GTİP + origin + current duty lines checked?
- Is the service fee and the stage at which it is charged explicit in the proposal?
- Is the freight calculation done as a total — freight + insurance + port + inland?
- Has the product group been evaluated for product-safety inspection requirements?
- Have VAT offset/refund assumptions been confirmed with an accountant?
- Does the budget carry a buffer for possible duty or port delays?