Still Cheap Despite a 60% Tax? How Did Temu Survive in Turkey? (2023–2025 Analysis)
In 2024, new Turkish regulations reduced the tax-free shopping limit from €150 to €30 and imposed a fixed 60% customs duty on products imported from non-EU countries. These changes directly affected China-based e-commerce platforms such as Temu and raised serious questions about their sustainability in the Turkish market. Despite the higher tax burden, Temu managed to maintain its price advantage and later strengthened its position by launching local operations in Turkey. So how did Temu remain competitive even under a 60% tax regime? This article analyzes the 2023–2025 period from commercial, logistical, and regulatory perspectives. Temu’s Founding, Founder, and Purpose Temu was founded in 2022 by Chinese entrepreneur Colin Huang. Huang is also the founder of Pinduoduo, one of China’s leading e-commerce platforms. Temu operates under PDD Holdings Inc., the parent company of Pinduoduo. Its founding purpose is to deliver products from China-based manufacturers directly to global co...