29.11.2025 14:41
In order to ensure that citizens can access food products at affordable prices before the month of Ramadan, the customs duty rates for green lentils and oats have been reduced, effective until April 30, 2026.
The Presidential Decision on the Amendment of the Import Regime Decision has been published in the Official Gazette and has come into force.
Accordingly, customs duties on the import of green lentils and oats have been rearranged. The customs duty on green lentils has been reduced from 19.3% to 10%, while the customs duty on oats has been decreased from 130% to 30%. These rates will be applied until April 30, 2026.
In a statement from the Ministry of Trade regarding the issue, it was emphasized that the necessary measures have been taken in a timely manner using trade policy tools in coordination with relevant institutions and organizations, indicating that the welfare of producers and consumers has been evaluated together with the needs of the industry to prevent speculative prices by correctly guiding the markets and ensuring supply security for basic food products, and to meet the country's needs through the encouragement of domestic production.
In this context, it was pointed out in the statement that due to the adverse climatic conditions experienced in Turkey this year, significant decreases have occurred in the production of green lentils, which are basic food products, and oats, which are important inputs for the food and feed industry. The statement included the following expressions:
"Before the month of Ramadan, it has become necessary to urgently make a series of new regulations, taking into account the views of our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, to ensure that our industrialists in the food sector can procure the inputs they need without any issues and that our citizens can access these products and foodstuffs made from them at reasonable prices, thereby ensuring supply security and price stability for these food products. In this regard, the customs duty on green lentil imports, which is 19.3%, has been rearranged to 10% until April 30, considering the harvest period of the product, in a way that will also ensure that our citizens can access affordable food and protect domestic producers."
REGISTRATION PRACTICE FOR CHICKPEAS HAS BEEN INITIATED
In the statement, it was reported that a registration practice has been initiated for chickpeas to determine the supply-demand situation, taking into account the status of the crop of this product, and it was also stated that a decrease has been experienced in the production of oats, which is an important input in the food and feed industry this year.
Considering the difficulties faced by industrialists in sourcing from the domestic market due to this decrease, it was stated in the announcement that a regulation has been made to prevent possible price increases in food products made from oats:
"The customs duty on oat imports, which is 130%, has been rearranged to 30% until April 30, for the importation of the product used only in the production of certain bakery and pastry products such as some breads and biscuits, taking into account the harvest period in our country. On the other hand, the opportunity for low customs duty imports for both green lentils and oats will end on April 30, and after that date, the existing customs duties will continue to be applied. Our Ministry of Trade will continue to closely monitor the supply, demand, and price levels in the market in consultation with other institutions and organizations, especially the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and will continue to implement the necessary regulations in a timely manner."