China+1 for Machined Parts: Turkey as a Second Source

China+1 means keeping a supplier in China for a machined part family while qualifying a second supplier in another country for the same drawings, so that one disruption cannot stop your supply. Turkey fits as that second supplier when a road transit of days instead of weeks and zero customs duty on industrial goods under the EU–Türkiye customs union decide the case, and it fits less well when the unit price alone decides.

What does China+1 mean for machined parts?

Dual sourcing is the general method: two qualified suppliers for one part, each with the same approved drawing revision, a first article report and an order history. China+1 is dual sourcing with a stated geography. The first source stays in China, where the buyer already has tooling, quality history and a price. The "+1" is a supplier outside China that can take part of the volume, or all of it if the first source fails.

The second supplier can sit in Turkey, in an EU Member State or in another Asian country. The article on nearshoring Turkey, Asia and Eastern Europe compares those locations; this one covers the Turkish option.

For machined parts, the split works at the level of the part family, not the whole supplier relationship. A milled housing or a turned shaft with a stable drawing and repeat demand can be qualified at a second supplier and split. A part that depends on a customer-specific fixture or process at the first supplier cannot be moved without cost, and a one-off part is not worth a qualification.

Which risks does a second source reduce?

A second source reduces risks that belong to one country or one route. It does not reduce risks that sit in the part itself, such as an unclear drawing or an unstable process. Those follow the part to the new supplier. Table 1 sets the risks that a Turkish second source changes against the ones it leaves open.

Table 1. Supply risks in a China-only setup and what a second source in Turkey changes, status 2026-10-30

Source: European Commission (Access2Markets, DG TAXUD), UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport 2025. The Bursa transit time is Ertaş Engineering's typical figure.

Duty and CBAM status both follow the CN code. The Commission's TARIC database is the lookup for the duty on a specific code and origin. The article on the EU–Türkiye customs union and machined parts goes through what the union covers.

What do published figures say about the exposure?

Table 2 collects figures from named publishers. They show how much of the EU's machinery trade runs through China, how large the Turkish alternative is, and what has happened to the sea route.

Table 2. Published indicators behind a China+1 decision, latest figures as of 2026-10-30

Source: Eurostat news item of 10 April 2026; European Commission, DG Trade, Türkiye page; UNCTAD; Drewry Red Sea diversion tracker, 13 January 2026; CBRT.

The machinery group in the Eurostat release contains finished machines as well as parts, so it shows the weight of the category in EU imports from China, not the share of machined parts in your own supply.

On the route, UNCTAD reports that ships which once passed through the Red Sea in days now sail for weeks around the Cape. Drewry's tracker put the pre-crisis level at about 55 Suez transits a week northbound and 25 southbound, so the 26 transits in the week to 11 January 2026 were a fraction of it. Routings can change between quote and shipment, so ask which one the quoted transit time assumes.

Where does Turkey fit as the second source?

Turkey is the fifth-largest trading partner of the EU, with goods trade of more than €217.6 billion in 2025 according to the Commission, which is 4.2% of EU goods trade with the world. Motor vehicles, machinery and electrical equipment lead the trade on both sides. The customs union between the EU and Turkey dates from Association Council Decision 1/95, and the Commission states that it removed tariffs and quantitative restrictions on industrial goods and requires Turkey to align with the EU's customs tariff and commercial policy.

For a buyer, three consequences matter. Industrial goods covered by the union carry zero customs duties and zero quotas, provided they travel with an A.TR movement certificate as proof of customs status. The part still goes through a customs declaration on entry. And coal and steel products as defined in the ECSC Treaty are outside the union, which is why the CN code comes first. The guide to sourcing machined parts from Turkey walks through the import steps.

The Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry lists automotive and machinery and metal manufacturing among the city's leading sectors. Our audited network in Bursa covers milling, turning, sheet metal, welding, casting with machining and assembly. ISO 2768-m is the standard general tolerance, with tighter tolerances where the drawing specifies them, and road transport to central Europe typically takes 5 to 10 days.

Turkey suits part families with a stable drawing, repeat demand and a delivery plan that benefits from short transit: stock-keeping parts, spare parts, assemblies that wait on a single component. It is a weaker fit for parts where a sea transit of weeks is already planned and the price per part is the only criterion.

What are the disadvantages of Turkey as a second source?

Five points belong in the decision.

• Price. Turkey is not the price floor. A Turkish quote can come in above a Chinese quote for the same drawing. The remaining question is whether the difference is smaller than the cost of the longer transit, the stock you hold against it and the risk of a single source. The landed cost model for machined parts from Turkey lists the cost lines.
• Inflation and currency. Annual consumer price inflation in Turkey was 29.73% in September 2026, down from 33.29% a year earlier and 49.38% in September 2024. A supplier that quotes in euro carries that exchange rate and cost drift and prices it into the validity period of the quote or an adjustment clause. Ask for both, and compare quotes on the same validity.
• Supplier base. EU imports from Turkey were €103.3 billion in 2025 against €559.4 billion from China. The two figures come from different publishers and cover all goods, so they only indicate scale. A narrower base can mean fewer alternatives when your drawing needs a specific process or material. Confirm that the process is in the network before you plan the split.
• No CBAM or upstream advantage. CBAM applies to Turkish imports in the listed CN codes just as it does to Chinese ones, and the steel or aluminium in the part may come from mills outside Turkey. Ask for the material certificate and read the mill name.
• Qualification effort. A second source costs an audit, a first article inspection, a pilot lot and the management time to run two suppliers. Splitting volume also lowers your volume at each supplier. The checklist in how to qualify a contract machining supplier in Turkey covers the audit.

How do you set up a China+1 split for machined parts?

1. Choose the part families. Pick drawings that are stable, ordered repeatedly and not tied to a fixture that only the first supplier owns.
2. Classify the parts. Fix the CN code of each part first, so the customs duty, the customs union status and the CBAM scope are checked once for every quote.
3. Send the same package to both suppliers. Use one drawing revision, one general tolerance class, one material and certificate requirement and one quantity per quote.
4. Qualify before you split. Audit the second supplier, take a first article inspection and run a pilot lot against the incumbent's parts.
5. Define the split. Allocate by part family or by order, and write the rule down. A supplier with no recent orders is a name on a list, not a second source.
6. Compare on landed cost and review it. Check the combined result, including transport, duty, stock and quality cost, at a fixed interval and move volume if the figures change.

Customs and CBAM rules change. The statements here reflect the Commission pages as read on 2026-10-30. Confirm the CN code, duty and CBAM status of each part in the official tariff database before an order.

Frequently asked questions

What is China+1 sourcing for machined parts?

It means keeping a supplier in China for a part family while qualifying a second supplier outside China for the same drawings. Orders are split between the two, or the second supplier takes over if the first one cannot deliver.

Is Turkey cheaper than China for machined parts?

Not by default. A Turkish quote can come in above a Chinese quote for the same drawing. The comparison that matters is landed cost per part, which adds transport, duty where it applies, inspection and the cost of stock held.

Do machined parts from Turkey pay EU customs duty?

Industrial goods covered by the EU–Türkiye customs union move at zero customs duty when accompanied by an A.TR movement certificate. Coal and steel products as defined in the ECSC Treaty are outside the union, so check the CN code of the part.

Does CBAM treat Turkish parts differently from Chinese parts?

No. CBAM applies in its definitive regime from 1 January 2026 to imports of selected iron, steel and aluminium goods, whatever the non-EU origin. Whether a given machined part is in scope depends on its CN code.

How long does road delivery from Bursa to central Europe take?

5 to 10 days is typical. The figure covers transit only, not machining, inspection or customs handling at either end.

Sources

1. Eurostat: Trade in goods with China in 2025 (10 April 2026)
2. European Commission, DG Trade: EU trade relations with Türkiye (2025 figures, customs union)
3. European Commission, Access2Markets: EU–Türkiye customs union
4. European Commission, DG TAXUD: Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
5. European Commission, DG TAXUD: EU Customs Tariff (TARIC)
6. UNCTAD: Maritime trade under pressure, growth set to stall (Review of Maritime Transport 2025)
7. Drewry: Suez route voyages recover, Red Sea diversion tracker (13 January 2026)
8. Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye: consumer prices, TURKSTAT series
9. Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO): Bursa economy

Questions on a drawing? sales@ertas.engineering

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