Türkiye’s digital economy is facing a significant imbalance in its online foreign trade, with the gap between e-imports and e-exports reaching record levels in the first half of 2025. Despite regulatory interventions and trade restrictions, online purchases made by Turkish consumers from abroad have soared, while digital exports to foreign buyers have slowed considerably.
According to recent data published by the Interbank Card Center (BKM), Turkish-issued cards were used to make 155.4 billion TL in online purchases from foreign platforms during the first six months of 2025—a staggering 65 percent increase compared to the same period last year. In contrast, online spending by foreign cards on Turkish platforms increased by only 7.4 percent, rising modestly from 78 billion TL to 83 billion TL.
The result: Türkiye’s digital trade deficit ballooned from 16 billion TL in 2024 to 71 billion TL in just the first half of 2025, representing a 346 percent increase. In other words, the online trade gap has multiplied by 4.4 times in a single year.
Transaction Volume Confirms Widening Imbalance
Beyond monetary value, the number of individual transactions paints a similarly unbalanced picture. Between January and June 2025, online import transactions increased by 23.1 percent, reaching 178.5 million individual orders. Conversely, the number of transactions made by foreign consumers on Turkish e-commerce platforms dropped by 36 percent, falling from 19 million to 14 million.
This means that e-import transaction volume is now 13 times greater than e-export, illustrating a growing dependence on international platforms for consumer goods—and an erosion in Türkiye’s digital trade competitiveness.
Experts Cite Global Policy Asymmetry, Not Local Weakness
Industry observers argue that this imbalance is not primarily due to weaknesses in Turkish e-commerce platforms, but rather due to aggressive state-sponsored advantages given to foreign competitors, particularly from China.
China-based e-commerce giants Temu and Shein have experienced exponential global growth, supported by a wide array of government incentives. These include:
Logistics subsidies
Tax breaks and exemptions
Low-interest financing
Rapid customs clearance protocols
Reduced freight fees for small packages
Export-friendly regulatory zones
Operating in China’s Special Economic Zones, these companies benefit from full-cycle support—from production and packaging to international shipment. China’s Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) policy framework further accelerates the outbound flow of goods by providing systemic advantages for cross-border digital commerce.
As a result, Temu and Shein have become some of the most downloaded shopping apps worldwide, capturing massive market share in regions like Europe, North America, and Türkiye.
Türkiye’s Response: Regulation Meets Resistance
Despite this foreign dominance, Türkiye has attempted to slow down e-import growth through a series of regulatory moves.
In 2024, the duty-free limit for online purchases from abroad was reduced from 150 Euros to 30 Euros. Import duties were raised to 30 percent for EU shipments and 60 percent for non-EU countries. In March 2025, Türkiye began including shipping and insurance costs in the taxable value of imported goods, pushing more packages over the tax threshold.
On April 1, 2025, the new E-Commerce Regulation came into effect, introducing several new obligations:
Mandatory transparency in product content
Strict labeling requirements
Consumer rights and information disclosure
Local representation mandate for foreign e-commerce platforms selling within Türkiye
Following this, Temu recently confirmed plans to open a representative office in Türkiye, complying with the local presence requirement for continued operations.
Where Are Turks Shopping the Most Online?
Excluding tourism services like flight and hotel bookings, BKM’s spending breakdown shows that Turkish consumers are primarily buying everyday consumer goods from abroad. The top categories by spending in the first half of 2025 include:
Supermarket and grocery items: 8.2 billion TL
Educational and stationery supplies: 7.3 billion TL
Electronics: 6.3 billion TL
Clothing: 3.3 billion TL
This reveals a shift in online consumer behavior—moving beyond occasional tech gadgets or fashion purchases toward routine household consumption through international e-commerce platforms.
Can Türkiye Reverse the Digital Trade Tide?
The rapid rise in e-imports and the stagnation in e-exports raise critical questions about Türkiye’s ability to develop a globally competitive digital commerce sector. Local players are struggling to keep pace with platforms that benefit from subsidized freight, integrated manufacturing, and deep capital reserves.
For Türkiye to reverse the trend, analysts suggest the following policy priorities:
Increased export support for local platforms
Digital marketing incentives for foreign customer acquisition
Preferential tax treatment for e-export earnings
Streamlined customs clearance for outbound goods
Government-backed logistics hubs for cross-border shipments
There’s also a growing call for bilateral trade agreements that promote digital reciprocity—ensuring that foreign platforms receive no more access in Türkiye than Turkish platforms enjoy abroad.
Global Trend or Local Crisis?
Türkiye is not alone in facing such challenges. Across Europe, governments are rethinking digital taxation, cross-border freight rules, and data regulation to prevent market dominance by a handful of foreign e-commerce platforms.
However, Türkiye’s high import ratio and rapidly growing deficit make its situation more urgent. Without aggressive intervention, the country risks becoming a net digital consumer, further widening its overall trade deficit and undermining local businesses.
A Turning Point for Türkiye’s Digital Trade Strategy
As Türkiye navigates the second half of 2025, the data offers a clear warning: without a coordinated digital export strategy, regulatory reform alone may not be enough to level the playing field. To thrive in the global digital economy, Türkiye must empower its e-commerce platforms, support product innovation, and modernize its digital infrastructure.
The challenge is steep—but so is the opportunity.
