Turkey’s Digital Trade Deficit Widens as Cross-Border E-Imports Soar

Turkey’s digital trade balance is undergoing a dramatic shift, with cross-border e-imports skyrocketing despite tighter restrictions on international online shopping. According to Interbank Card Center (BKM) data cited by business daily Ekonomi, e-import transactions made with Turkish bank cards on foreign e-commerce platforms reached nearly 210 million in the first seven months of 2025, marking a 22.5% increase year on year.

By contrast, e-export transactions — defined as purchases made on Turkish e-commerce sites with foreign-issued cards — dropped 24.7% y/y to 17.2 million in the same period. That means the number of e-import transactions was more than 12 times greater than e-exports, a striking imbalance that underscores Turkish consumers’ growing reliance on foreign marketplaces.

The Rise of Temu and Shein

The numbers reflect the booming popularity of low-cost global platforms such as Temu, China’s rapidly expanding online marketplace, and Shein, the fast-fashion e-commerce giant. Their competitive pricing and aggressive marketing strategies are drawing Turkish consumers away from local platforms, further intensifying competition in the domestic e-commerce sector.

This surge in demand highlights a consumer shift toward price-sensitive shopping behavior in a period marked by inflation and reduced purchasing power. For Turkish e-commerce companies, the trend signals a battle to defend market share against international rivals.

Value of Transactions: The Gap Widens

While transaction volumes reveal one side of the story, transaction values highlight an even more concerning trend. Between January and July 2025, e-exports rose 11.5% y/y to TRY 106 billion ($2.56 billion). However, e-imports surged by 65% y/y, climbing from TRY 114 billion in 2024 to TRY 189 billion this year.

For comparison, across the whole of 2024, e-imports totalled TRY 217 billion, versus TRY 158 billion for e-exports. In other words, in just seven months of 2025, Turkey has already seen e-imports approach last year’s full-year total, significantly widening the digital trade deficit.

Customs Rules and Taxation Measures

The surge in e-imports comes despite stricter customs measures introduced to curb overseas online shopping. Under current Turkish regulations, online orders from abroad worth up to €30 are exempt from customs duties if classified as non-commercial and for personal use.

For purchases exceeding this threshold, fixed tax rates apply depending on the origin:

• 30% tax on goods arriving from EU countries

• 60% tax on products shipped from non-EU countries, including China

Even with these deterrents, Turkish consumers continue to flock to foreign platforms, lured by lower prices, broad product ranges, and often faster delivery times.

Digital Trade Share of Total E-Commerce

The overall share of cross-border activity in Turkey’s online shopping ecosystem is climbing. In terms of transaction volume, cross-border purchases accounted for 12.26% of Turkey’s total online transactions in the first seven months of 2025, up from 10.39% a year earlier.

In value terms, the ratio increased slightly from 4.77% in 2024 to 4.80% this year. Meanwhile, e-exports represented 1.8% of total transaction volume and 2.76% of transaction value, reflecting their much smaller role compared with imports.

Strain on Domestic E-Commerce Players

For Turkey’s local e-commerce sector, these figures present both a challenge and a wake-up call. Domestic platforms are facing growing competition not only in terms of pricing but also in consumer trust, brand recognition, and logistical efficiency.

Unless Turkish companies find ways to improve competitiveness, the dominance of global giants like Temu and Shein could deepen, threatening the sustainability of homegrown players in a market already under pressure from inflation and shifting consumer habits.

The Bigger Picture: Turkey’s Digital Economy

The widening gap between e-imports and e-exports is more than just a trade imbalance — it is a reflection of broader structural challenges. Turkey’s ability to build globally competitive e-commerce brands remains limited, while consumers are increasingly oriented toward affordable global alternatives.

At the same time, the government’s attempts to regulate cross-border shopping through higher customs duties have not significantly slowed demand, raising questions about the effectiveness of such measures in an increasingly borderless digital economy.

Going forward, Turkey’s policymakers and industry leaders face the task of not only addressing domestic competitiveness but also finding ways to support local platforms in expanding abroad, thereby boosting e-exports to balance the digital trade equation.