New Tax Regulations Introduced for Imported Automobiles
With the Presidential Decrees published in the Official Gazette dated 22.09.2025 and numbered 33025, additional financial obligations have been introduced regarding the import of automobiles. Under the relevant Presidential Decrees, while the taxes on certain products, including automobiles, imported from the United States have been lifted, additional customs duties have been imposed on automobiles to be imported from countries such as China, Japan, and South Africa. Within the scope of this regulation concerning imports from countries outside the European Union and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the following additional financial obligations will be applied:
- Conventional and hybrid (excluding plug-in) automobiles: 25% or at least 6,000 USD per vehicle (whichever is higher)
- Plug-in hybrid automobiles: 30% or at least 7,000 USD (whichever is higher)
- Electric automobiles: 30% or at least 8,500 USD (whichever is higher)
Since 2018, vehicles imported from the United States had been subject to an additional financial obligation at the rate of 60% for models with internal combustion engines and 50% for electric models. For automobiles imported from China, there were taxes of 50% for vehicles with internal combustion engines and 40% for electric vehicles. With the new regulation, the rate applied to all vehicles with internal combustion engines has been reduced to 25%, and the rate applied to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles has been reduced to 30%. Accordingly, there is also a new regulation with respect to automobiles imported from China.
The Presidential Decrees in question will enter into force on the 60th day following their publication in the Official Gazette, and a transition period will be granted for import transactions that have already commenced.
In the written statement made by the Ministry of Trade, it was emphasized that, within the framework of developments in global trade and increasing protectionist tendencies, “new steps supporting domestic production and exports in the automotive sector” will continue to be taken. It was also stated that, based on the import value per automobile, either ad valorem or a specific (fixed) additional tax would be applied, and whichever is higher would be taken as the basis.
The Relevant Presidential Decree -1
All rights of this article are reserved. This article may not be used, reproduced, copied, published, distributed, or otherwise disseminated without quotation or Erdem & Erdem Law Firm's written consent. Any content created without citing the resource or Erdem & Erdem Law Firm’s written consent is regularly tracked, and legal action will be taken in case of violation.