Shipping from Turkey to the US

US-Turkish trade ties are relatively weak, and whether they strengthen or not in the future depends on several economic and political factors. In 2022, the United States imported $17.1 billion in goods from Turkey. These goods mainly included hand-woven rugs, jewelry, and silver. Learn about the options for shipping from Turkey to the US.

Available types of transportation

In 2022, Turkey was the United States’ 26th largest supplier of goods imports. Since the US and Turkey are on two different continents, there are only two methods of shipping from Turkey to the US: sea freight and air freight.

Sea shipping from Turkey to the US

Sea shipping is the most popular method of transporting cargo. One of the pros is the low cost, but it is also the slowest mode of transportation. You can choose Less than Container Load (LCL) or Full Container Load (FCL). Shipping time from Turkey to the United States of America by sea is usually 14-19 days.

Seaports in Turkey

You can ship your goods from seaports in Turkey such as:

Port of Ambarli (the largest port in Turkey)
Port of Gemlik (a hub for the automotive sector)
Port of Mersin (Turkey’s second-largest port)
Port of Haydarpaşa in Istanbul (the third biggest port in the country.)

Seaports in the US

There are several major seaports in the United States. Below, we present the five largest container terminals in the US:

Port of Los Angeles, which is the busiest container port in the United States
Port of Long Beach, which handles around 7 million container units per year
Port of New York, together with New Jersey is the largest port complex on the East Coast
Port of Seattle and Tacoma; both ports are part of the Northwest Seaport Alliance
Port of Savannah is one of the busiest seaports in the US.

Airfreight from Turkey to the US

The transit time between Turkey and the US by air is around 1-3 days. The short transit times come with a price. Airfreight is about five times more expensive than sea shipping. It is recommended if you move perishable goods or you are not on a budget.

Cargo airports in Turkey

The major airports in Turkey are:

Istanbul Airport (IST) is the main international airport in Istanbul
Ankara Esenboğa Airport (ESB) is one of the largest airports in Turkey.

Main cargo airports in the US

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the 5^th busiest cargo airport in the US
Louisville International Airport (SDF) is the 3^rd busiest airport in the US
Memphis International Airport (MEM), which is the busiest cargo airport in the world
Miami International Airport (MIA) is a hub for UPS, Sky Lease Cargo, and FedEx Express.

Customs clearance in import from Turkey to the US

It is recommended that you check the customs duties before sourcing the products. You can find the HS codes and the customs duties on the official US Harmonized Tariff website.

There is a set of documents that are required for customs clearance. It is usually:

certificate of origin
commercial invoice
packing list (inventory)
bill of lading/air waybill
letter of credit (or different payment terms).

How much does shipping from Turkey to the US cost?

The shipping cost depends on the type of transportation, the size of the consignment, and additional safety measures. If you fill out a form on ShipHub, you will receive an in-depth quote on your international shipment from various forwarders. Here are some examples of filled forms: