Sourcing machined parts from Turkey means buying CNC-milled and turned components from workshops in Türkiye, a country that has been in a customs union with the EU for industrial goods since 1996, so the parts enter the EU free of customs duty when an A.TR movement certificate accompanies them. The buyer's work is mostly technical: a drawing package that a Turkish workshop can quote without guessing, quality documents agreed before the order, and a supplier that has been audited rather than found in a directory.
Why do European buyers source machined parts from Turkey?
The European Commission lists Türkiye as the EU's fifth-largest trade partner in 2025, accounting for 4.2% of the EU's total trade in goods with the world.
Table 1. EU–Türkiye trade in goods, 2025
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| EU exports of goods to Türkiye | €114.3 billion |
| EU imports of goods from Türkiye | €103.3 billion |
| Total goods trade | over €217.6 billion |
| Türkiye's share of EU goods trade with the world | 4.2% |
| Rank among EU trade partners | 5th |
Source: European Commission, DG Trade, EU trade relations with Türkiye (figures for 2025).
Total trade says nothing about a particular workshop. For machined parts the relevant fact is the regional supplier base: the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry names automotive, machinery and metal manufacturing, besides textiles, among the sectors that stand out in the city, and our audited network sits there.
What does the EU–Türkiye customs union cover?
The final phase of the customs union is defined in Decision 1/95 of the EC–Turkey Association Council of 22 December 1995 and was completed on 1 January 1996. Tariffs and quantitative restrictions between the EU and Türkiye were removed for industrial goods. The Commission's market-access database lists zero customs duties and zero quotas for goods covered by the customs union. The goods must be accompanied by proof of their customs status, which is the A.TR movement certificate.
Four points matter for machined parts. Status as of 2026-10-30.
- Steel and coal products are outside. The Commission states that coal and steel products are subject only to preferential agreements based on origin. The German chambers of commerce describe the excluded iron and steel goods as mainly Chapter 72 of the tariff, which need other origin proofs. The customs code of the finished part decides which rule applies, so confirm it with your customs broker before the first shipment.
- VAT still applies. VAT on imports normally becomes chargeable when the goods enter the EU (Article 70 of the VAT Directive), whatever the duty rate.
- CBAM may apply. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism applies in its definitive regime from 1 January 2026 to selected goods including iron and steel and aluminium. Whether a given part is covered depends on its customs code. See CBAM and steel or aluminium parts from Türkiye.
- The A.TR travels with the goods. The importer presents it at EU customs. The article on the customs union and machined parts covers the details.
How does sourcing a machined part from Turkey work, step by step?
Each step has a document as evidence. Do not release a series before the first article is approved.
Table 2. Steps from request for quotation to receiving inspection
| Step | You provide | You agree | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Request and drawing review | Drawing, 3D model, material, quantities | Open questions, manufacturability comments | Written question list |
| 2. Quotation | Delivery terms, packaging, inspection scope | What the price includes | Itemised quote |
| 3. First article | Approval of the sample | Which characteristics are measured | First article report |
| 4. Series production | Order and call-off schedule | Inspection plan, material certificate per lot | EN 10204 3.1 certificate, measurement report |
| 5. Export and customs | Importer, customs code, Incoterm | Who clears which side | Invoice, A.TR |
| 6. Transport | Delivery address, time window | Mode and tracking | Transport documents |
| 7. Receiving | Incoming inspection | Handling of non-conformances | Inspection record, 8D report if needed |
Source: Ertaş Engineering process outline. Certificate types as defined in EN 10204:2004.
By road, transit from Bursa to central Europe is typically 5 to 10 days. That figure covers transport only. Machining, inspection and customs handling come on top and depend on the part.
What should the drawing and quote package contain?
A workshop quotes what the drawing says, so a requirement missing from the drawing is not in the price. The technical drawing checklist has the full list. The minimum for a quote:
- A dimensioned PDF drawing with title block, material designation and surface finish, plus a 3D model (STEP).
- A general tolerance class. ISO 2768-1:1989 is still current (DIN ISO 2768-1:1991-06 is its German adoption). Part 2 of the standard was withdrawn on 4 February 2021 and replaced by ISO 22081:2021, so state geometrical tolerances individually or write the year with any reference to part 2.
- Individual tolerances on every function-critical feature, such as bearing seats, sealing faces and locating bores.
- Annual and per-call-off quantities, packaging requirements and the required documents.
Our network works to ISO 2768-m as standard on CNC milling and turned parts, and tighter where the drawing specifies it.
Which quality documents should you ask for?
Ask for the documents in the order they are produced. Before the order: the supplier's management-system certificate (for example ISO 9001, or IATF 16949 for automotive work) and the scope it covers. With the first article: a first article report and a measurement report against the drawing. With each delivery: an EN 10204 type 3.1 certificate for the material, traceable to the heat or batch number, and a certificate of conformance.
EN 10204:2004 is the current edition of the standard that defines inspection document types 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2. Type 3.1 is issued by the manufacturer and states the test results for the delivery. If your customer requires an independent inspector, specify type 3.2 on the order. A certificate shows what a supplier claims. An audit of the workshop, covering inspection equipment and process control, shows whether the claim is credible. The steps are in how to qualify a contract machining supplier in Turkey.
What do you compare when choosing a Turkish machining supplier?
Compare on criteria, not on the unit price alone. Price and lead time depend on the part, the material and the batch size, so figures from another buyer's part do not transfer.
- Landed cost: unit price, fixtures and programming, material, packaging, freight, insurance, import VAT cash flow, incoming inspection and the cost of a rejected lot.
- Lead time: quotation, material procurement, machining, inspection, transport and customs on both sides, each as a separate number from the supplier.
- Capability fit: machine envelope, materials the shop runs routinely, and evidence that it has made parts like yours.
- Process control: inspection equipment, calibration, how deviations are recorded and how corrective actions are closed.
- Documentation: whether the supplier can supply the certificates above without being asked twice.
- Communication: a named contact who answers drawing questions in your language.
The criteria apply to any supplier country. What is specific to Türkiye is the customs union, a road transit counted in days, and a workshop audit done in person or through a network that has already done it. The article on nearshoring from Türkiye, Asia and Eastern Europe applies the same criteria to other regions.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there customs duty on machined parts from Turkey?
- Not on industrial goods covered by the EU–Türkiye customs union. The Commission lists zero customs duties and zero quotas for them, and the goods must be accompanied by an A.TR movement certificate. Coal and steel products are outside the customs union, so the customs classification of the finished part should be confirmed before the first shipment.
- What is an A.TR movement certificate?
- It is the document that proves the customs status of goods in free circulation between the EU and Türkiye. It is issued by the Turkish competent authorities, and the importer presents it at EU customs to obtain duty-free treatment.
- Do you pay import VAT on parts from Turkey?
- Yes. The customs union removes customs duties, not VAT. Under Article 70 of the VAT Directive, VAT normally becomes chargeable when imported goods enter the EU, at the rate of the member state of import.
- Which inspection certificate should come with machined parts?
- Most buyers ask for an EN 10204 type 3.1 certificate for the material, traceable to the heat or batch number, plus a first article report and a measurement report against the drawing. EN 10204:2004 is the current edition.
- How long does road transport from Bursa to central Europe take?
- Five to ten days is typical for road transport from Bursa to central Europe. The figure covers transit only, not machining, inspection or customs handling at either end.
Sources
- European Commission, EU trade relations with Türkiye (2025 trade figures, customs union)
- European Commission, Access2Markets: Türkiye and the EU–Türkiye customs union
- European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union: Türkiye, customs unions and preferential arrangements
- IHK Koblenz, Dokumente im Warenverkehr mit der Türkei (A.TR, scope of the customs union)
- European Commission, VAT Directive: chargeable event (importation, Article 70)
- European Commission, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
- Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), Bursa economy
- EN 10204:2004, Metallic products: types of inspection documents (NSAI/CEN catalogue entry)
- DIN ISO 2768-1:1991-06 (DIN Media)
- ISO 2768-2:1989 life cycle, stage 95.99 dated 2021-02-04 (ISS, national ISO member)
Questions on a drawing? sales@ertas.engineering