TAREKS: Import Inspection in Turkey

TAREKS (the Risk-Based Control System in Foreign Trade) is the web-based system run by the Turkish Ministry of Trade. At import it checks electronically whether a product complies with the technical legislation that applies to it. For CE-marked goods this means the CE marking, the Declaration of Conformity and the test reports. If you ship products to Turkey, your importer cannot complete customs clearance until TAREKS has issued a reference number. CE Danışmanı (CE Consultant) prepares the conformity documents and advises on the TAREKS process.

How TAREKS works

TAREKS does not physically inspect every consignment. It runs a risk analysis on each application:

• Low risk or exempt: the system issues a reference number automatically, often within minutes.
• Selected for inspection: the documents are uploaded and the product is examined by the inspection authority.

The 23-digit TAREKS reference number is entered in box 44 of the customs declaration. It is, in effect, an electronic document.

Which products are covered?

Products subject to product-safety inspection at import, including:

• CE-marked machinery and electrical equipment, hot-water boilers, pressure equipment and equipment for explosive atmospheres
• Radio and telecommunications equipment
• Toys
• Personal protective equipment
• Construction products
• Medical devices
• Batteries and accumulators
• Textiles, ready-made clothing and footwear, and certain consumer products
• Industrial goods with a mandatory standard, such as bearings, belts and fasteners, and E-marked automotive parts

Who inspects what?

What inspectors check on CE-marked products

• The CE marking is on the product and meets the formal requirements.
• An EU Declaration of Conformity exists.
• The brand and model on the product match the declaration and the invoice.
• The directives and standards cited are current.

If the directives or standards are out of date, or the product cannot be matched to the documents, a test report is requested. If there is no test report, the product is rejected.

For minor deficiencies a conditional acceptance can be given. The most common one is missing manufacturer or importer information on the product. It is either corrected at customs or covered by an undertaking that the product will not be placed on the market until it is corrected.

What the Declaration of Conformity must contain

• A date earlier than the date of shipment
• All the legislation listed for the product’s customs tariff code
• Current directives and current standards
• Brand, model and manufacturer identical to those entered in TAREKS and shown on the product
• The declaration statement
• Name, signature and title of the signatory

Documents and deadlines

After the application, the requested documents must be uploaded within two days: transport document, invoice, power of attorney where applicable and, for CE-marked products, the Declaration of Conformity. If some documents are not available, an extension of up to 10 working days can be requested.

In total, an application takes from a few minutes to about two weeks, depending on whether it is selected for inspection.

Exemptions

A reference number is issued without inspection in these cases, among others:

• Goods arriving from the European Union with an A.TR movement certificate
• Products outside the scope
• Limited quantities that do not constitute a consignment
• Production inputs
• Holders of AQAP or GMP certificates, an automotive manufacturing competence certificate, an investment incentive certificate or the TSE mark
• Samples and returned goods as defined in customs legislation

Which exemption applies is assessed product by product.

Who files the application?

The application is filed with an electronic signature by a user authorised by the importing company. Most users are customs brokers, but this is not a requirement. The company remains responsible for what the authorised user does.

If the application is rejected

Rejections usually come from a missing test report, a CE marking that does not meet the requirements, or a mismatch between product and documents. The usual remedies:

1. Have the product tested in an accredited laboratory.
2. Update the Declaration of Conformity.
3. For minor deficiencies, request conditional acceptance through correction at customs or an undertaking.

TAREKS does not replace CE marking

CE marking is the manufacturer’s responsibility. TAREKS is the customs-side system that checks whether that CE marking is valid, matches the product and is supported by test reports. The CE marking cannot be added to the product afterwards. The work has to be done before shipment.

How CE Danışmanı helps

• Checking, before shipment, whether your documents will pass a TAREKS inspection
• Preparing or updating the technical file and the Declaration of Conformity
• Coordinating LVD, EMC and RoHS tests with accredited laboratories
• Advising your importer or customs broker during the application and on exemptions