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The Turkish Ministry of Trade has published a new communiqué establishing the administrative framework for a general tariff quota on ethyl acetate imports, offering importers a route to exemption from the additional financial obligation imposed under Turkey's safeguard measure on the product.

Published in the Official Gazette dated June 20, 2026 (No. 33286), Communiqué No. 2026/5 sets out the usage procedures and principles for a quota that took effect on June 22, 2026. It simultaneously repeals the previous communiqué on the subject (No. 2025/4).

The quota operates within the framework of the safeguard measure introduced by Presidential Decree No. 9873 of May 22, 2025, which applies an additional financial obligation to imports of ethyl acetate classified under Customs Tariff Statistics Position (GTİP) 2915.31.00.00.00. The new communiqué does not remove that duty — instead, it opens a defined volume of imports that can enter free of the additional obligation.

For each period in which the additional financial obligation applies, the tariff quota is set at 10,000 tonnes, allocated without distinction as to country of origin.

Distribution follows a demand-collection (talep toplama) method. If quota remains unallocated after the demand-collection period — whether due to insufficient applications or insufficient licenses issued — the residual volume is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Under the demand-collection method, allocation may be based on one or more criteria including valid application date and number, total requested volume, actual consumption, production volume and capacity, consumption capacity, total import volume, supply source, and the applicant's performance in using previously allocated quotas.

Key allocation constraints include:

• An applicant may apply for goods originating from a maximum of three different countries or customs territories during the demand-collection period.
• Under the first-come, first-served method, a single import license may not exceed 150 tonnes, and is issued for only one country or customs territory.
• To receive a new license under the first-come, first-served method, at least 30 days must have passed since the applicant's most recent such license, and all import operations under that prior license must be complete.

Applications are made electronically with an electronic signature through the "Import Document Operations" (İthalatBİS) module under the "E-Services / E-Operations" menu on the Ministry's website (www.ticaret.gov.tr). Applicants select document type "TPS-0951 – Import License (Safeguard)" and complete the form together with the documents specified in Annexes 1 and 2.

The relevant deadlines are:

• Second period: applications through August 22, 2026
• Third period: applications between June 22, 2027 and August 22, 2027

Only one import license may be requested per application. Where electronic filing is not possible due to system issues, physical applications are permitted.

Import licenses are issued electronically by the Ministry's Directorate General of Imports and notified to the applicant's email address, carrying a 23-digit document number and document date generated through the Single Window System (Tek Pencere Sistemi). The importer declares these in Box 44 of the customs declaration. No separate written notification is issued.

Goods subject to the quota may enter free circulation only within the license's validity period, and licenses are non-transferable. Where an applicant is not yet registered with the customs administration, registration must be completed within 5 business days of notification, failing which the application is deemed invalid.