Hazardous e-commerce goods prompts safety sweep

ANKARA

The Trade Ministry has initiated a comprehensive inspection campaign targeting products purchased through foreign e-commerce platforms, amid growing concerns over consumer safety and product quality.

The move comes in response to recent reports in both local and international media highlighting health risks posed by items sold online from abroad.

Recent lab tests conducted by the European Union, South Korea and Scandinavian countries, revealed serious safety issues in various goods available on international e-commerce platforms.

Many of these products, drawn from a range of categories, failed to meet essential safety standards. Particularly alarming were findings of high levels of carcinogenic and toxic substances in textiles, footwear, leather items and children’s products—prompting anxiety among Turkish consumers.

While domestic e-commerce platforms and retailers in Türkiye are subject to rigorous compliance checks, imported products from overseas websites have found their way into the market despite posing potential risks.

Considering these developments, the Ministry — alongside other regulatory bodies — has stepped up efforts to monitor and analyze suspect items more closely.

A series of lab-based safety tests has now begun, focusing first on toys, baby items, footwear, textile and leather goods, which are categorized as high-risk. The Ministry emphasized that this process will be modeled after EU protocols, and additional preventive measures will be considered based on inspection outcomes.

For certain product groups, further testing and certification may be required depending on identified risk levels.