The Ministry made a new regulation for sunflower oil.

The Ministry of Trade, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and relevant institutions, has implemented the regulation regarding sunflower through the Presidential Decree, which has been published in the Official Gazette and has come into effect.

The Ministry has taken new steps for sunflower oil, which has seen a decrease in production, for the year 2025. Accordingly, the scheduled sunflower quota will be implemented starting from 2025.

In a statement made by the Ministry, a tariff quota of 8% or 400 thousand tons of crude sunflower oil import with a customs duty and a tariff quota of 20% for 1 million tons of oilseed import by companies purchasing 1 million tons of domestic sunflower seeds between July 1 and November 30, 2024 has been opened to protect the income of farmers.

END TO LOW-TARIFF IMPORTS

During the period from January 1 to April 30, 2025, when domestic sunflower oil is exhausted in the domestic market, if purchases have been made from farmers, low-tariff imports will be allowed, but after this date, the opportunity for low-tariff imports will end as the harvest season approaches.

The Ministry's statement on the matter is as follows:

"As is known, in order to prevent speculative prices and ensure food security in basic food products, and to meet the country's needs through the promotion of domestic production, necessary measures are taken in a timely manner by our Ministry of Trade, in coordination with the relevant institutions, primarily the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, using all the tools of trade policies.

In this context, considering the adverse climate conditions that have led to a decrease in yield and productivity in our country, as well as regional and global developments that have negatively affected production worldwide, in terms of balancing supply and demand in oilseed sunflower seeds and sunflower oil and increasing oilseed sunflower seed production, necessary arrangements have been made by us in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to ensure that our farmers are encouraged and protected.

Therefore, in order to meet the part of the need that cannot be met by domestic production at the beginning of 2025 in oilseed sunflower seeds, necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that our farmers do not suffer any harm and that domestic products are evaluated in the domestic market in the best possible way.

In this regard, taking into account the harvest period of oilseed sunflower seeds and the need to protect the income of farmers, except for cases deemed necessary by our Ministry of Trade in terms of domestic and foreign market conditions, a tariff quota of 8% for 1 million tons of oilseed sunflower seeds import or a tariff quota of 20% for 400 thousand tons of crude sunflower oil import has been opened for allocation to companies purchasing domestic sunflower seeds between July 1 and November 30, 2024."

Within this scope, in order to prevent harm to domestic producers, only during the period from January 1 to April 30, 2025, when the product is no longer available in the hands of farmers and domestic sunflower seeds are exhausted in the domestic market, purchases made from farmers will be allowed, and after this date, the opportunity for low-tariff imports will be terminated as the harvest season approaches.

Thus, with the tariff quota opened for a limited amount in order to meet the needs of our country, it is aimed to ensure that our farmers' products find the best place in the market this year, to increase motivation for cultivation for the 2025-2026 season, and to meet the domestic market demand in a way that protects the consumer against possible speculative price movements in sunflower oil.

Our Ministry of Trade will continue to closely monitor the supply, demand, and price levels in the market and implement the necessary regulations in a timely manner, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry."