Nike Inc. has suspended online sales in Turkey through its website and mobile app, following a recent increase in customs taxes on online purchases from abroad.
“We cannot guarantee that orders will arrive smoothly and on time, so we are suspending online orders from Turkey for now,” the US sneaker giant announced in a statement on its official Turkish website.
Nike added that it is closely examining the impact of the recent changes to Turkey’s customs regulations on the shopping experience for Turkish consumers.
While Nike did not specify which changes prompted this decision, a new Turkish regulation this week lowered the threshold for taxing individuals’ online purchases from € 150 (US $ 165) to € 30 euros (US $ 33). Additionally, the tax rate was raised from 20 per cent to 30 per cent for goods purchased from the European Union, and from 30 per cent to 60 per cent for goods from other countries.
Despite the suspension of online sales, Nike continues to sell its products in Turkey through its own stores and retail affiliates.
The new customs measures are intended to reduce the “negative effects” on market share and employment, particularly among store owners and small and medium enterprises, as well as to curb the loss of foreign currency, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said this week, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
