Shoe, toy deliveries from abroad restricted

ANKARA

The Trade Ministry has announced restrictions on the import of high-risk products, including footwear, toys and leather goods, into the country via postal or express cargo services under the "simplified customs declaration" system.

In a written statement on Oct. 21, the ministry stated that the directorates general of product safety and inspection and consumer protection and market surveillance conducted inspections and laboratory analyses of various product groups sold on certain e-commerce platforms.

“Of the 182 products examined, 148 were found to be non-compliant with regulations and did not meet product safety criteria, which equates to an 81 percent non-compliance rate in these product groups,” the statement read.

“The inspections found toxic substances, such as phthalates, lead, cadmium, and PAHs, in shoes, toys and leather goods [bags and suitcases made of real and synthetic leather] at levels well above legal limits,” it added.

In line with these findings, the ministry introduced new regulations for the aforementioned product groups “to protect human and public health and ensure consumers' access to safe products.”

"The importation of footwear, toys and leather goods identified as high-risk into our country via postal or express cargo services under the 'simplified customs declaration' is restricted,” the Trade Ministry said.

“This regulation took effect with Circular No. 2025/11, dated Oct. 20, 2025. We remain committed to protecting consumer health and ensuring our citizens have access to safe products through market surveillance and control activities."