In addition to its tariffs, Turkey levies a public housing fund surcharge, which was scheduled to be phased out in 1995. However, Turkey bound many tariffs at high levels by incorporating the public housing fund surcharge into its Uruguay Round tariff schedule. The EU common external tariff rates are generally lower than existing Turkish tariff rates, so alignment with EU rates will reduce the overall rate of protection against imports from the United States. The EU tariff system also simplifies the calculation of duties on U.S. goods, reducing administrative costs and providing a greater degree of predictability for exporters. However, because duties will be eliminated among Turkey, the European Union and EFTA member states, U.S. exporters, who will still be subject to Turkish duties, will be at a disadvantage compared with their European competitors.
Turkey maintains import restrictions on meat and livestock products to protect domestic producers.
This surcharge limits market access for live animals, most meats and dairy products, some fruits, sugar, chocolate, and certain fresh and processed fruits and vegetables. The Turkish government still needs to implement measures to align its policies with the Uruguay Round commitments. Import Licenses Turkish importers must obtain an annual import certificate from the Undersecretariat of Treasury and Foreign Trade and pay a fee for each category of product. Although the government does not restrict issuance of the certificates, this requirement imposes an administrative and financial burden on importers. Importers must obtain permission from relevant ministries for certain goods, including telecommunications equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, vehicles and coal.