Container shipping from Turkey to the Netherlands
We buy your goods from Turkish factories and Istanbul's markets, check them and ship them to the Netherlands by sea to Rotterdam, or by road via Kapıkule and the Balkans, or the Trieste ferry. Here are the route, the time it takes, the papers the Netherlands asks for, and its duties.
- By sea from TurkeyTime confirmed with your quote
- By road, by truckTime confirmed with your quote
- Shared containerFrom one pallet
The route from Turkey to the Netherlands
Containers sail to Rotterdam on direct lines from Ambarlı, Gemlik, Aliağa and Mersin. Trucks also run, through Kapıkule and the Balkans or by ferry to Trieste.
From Ambarlı in Istanbul, Gemlik, Aliağa in İzmir and Mersin to Rotterdam. A full container just for you, or space in a shared one.
CMA CGM's FEMEX1 line calls at Ambarlı, Gemlik and Aliağa, then Felixstowe, Antwerp and Rotterdam. Schedule estimates from Mersin are about 18 days. We confirm the time from the Marmara and Aegean ports with your quote. These lines don't use the Red Sea.
Time confirmed with your quoteTrucks cross at Kapıkule or Hamzabeyli and drive through the Balkans and Central Europe. In October 2026 drivers reported waits of up to four or five days at times at Kapıkule. The ferry from Pendik to Trieste takes about 64 hours and avoids those borders.
Time confirmed with your quoteFor samples and urgent, light orders.
3–7 daysTimes are approximate, port to port or border to border, and don't include customs clearance.
Which container fits your goods?
Enter one carton's size and weight and how many cartons you have. We show the volume, the weight and how many cartons each way of shipping takes. The price comes in your quote.
One carton
120 cartons · 11.5 m³ · 2,160 kg
By air you'd be charged for 2,160 kg: the larger of the real weight and the volume weight (volume ÷ 6000).
Usually the best fit: a shared container. You pay only for 11.5 m³.
| Way to ship | Inside size | Max load | Your cartons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared container | You pay for the space you use | — | You pay for 11.5 m³ |
| 20 ft container | 5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m · 33.2 m³ | 25 t | All 120 fit35% full |
| 40 ft container | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.39 m · 67.7 m³ | 27.6 t | All 120 fit17% full |
| 40 ft high cube | 12.03 × 2.35 × 2.70 m · 76.4 m³ | 28.5 t | All 120 fit15% full |
| 13.6 m truck | 13.6 × 2.45 × 2.70 m · about 90 m³ | about 24 t | All 120 fit13% full |
Sizes are typical and vary a little from one container or trailer to another, and some countries allow less weight on their roads. We work out the exact loading with your quote.
Papers: what we prepare and what the Netherlands asks for
We prepare in Turkey
- Commercial invoiceEvery model, its quantity and price.
- Packing listWhat is in each carton, its weight and size, from the inspection.
- A.TR or EUR.1For the Netherlands it's the A.TR, validated by Turkish customs and handed in with the import declaration within four months, which lets industrial goods enter duty-free; farm goods, coal and steel use a EUR.1 or invoice declaration instead.
What the Netherlands asks of you
- EORI and Article 23 permitYou always need an EORI number to declare goods at Dutch customs. Import VAT of 21% or 9% is normally paid on import, but an Article 23 permit moves it to the VAT return. A foreign company can't apply itself: a tax representative, often a customs agent, applies for it.Official site
- Container release in RotterdamGoods from outside the EU need a Container Release Message (CVB). At Rotterdam's deep-sea terminals the right to collect the container also passes digitally through the Secure Chain, with no PIN codes, so your forwarder and haulier must be in that system. Shortsea lines are joining during 2026.Official site
- Dutch labels and textile dutyLabels must be in Dutch, and other languages may be added. Since July 2023 the company that first puts clothes and textiles on the Dutch market, whether producer or importer, answers for their collection and recycling. Meeting these rules is the importer's duty.
Trade agreement and duties
Under the EU–Türkiye Customs Union, industrial goods pay no customs duty with an A.TR, and the tariff is the same across the EU. Farm goods, coal and steel fall outside it and get lower rates only with a EUR.1 or invoice declaration. Anti-dumping duties still apply, for example 4.8% to 20.9% on ceramic tiles; steel above its EU quota has paid 50% since July 2026, and the EU's carbon charge (CBAM) can apply to steel and aluminium goods.
Before you order goods for the Netherlands
- Food gets extra border checks. Since 18 February 2026, half of all shipments of Turkish pistachios and pistachio products are checked for aflatoxin, and the Dutch food and product safety authority (NVWA) handles the controls. Confirm your product's rules before you order.
- If goods move on from the Netherlands to another EU country, they are handled at that country's VAT rate and no extra Dutch VAT is due. Ask your broker whether this fits your shipment.
- Consumer goods need a responsible person in the EU, and many industrial goods need CE marking. If the maker is outside the EU, making sure the goods comply is the importer's duty. Our inspection counts pieces and checks for faults; it doesn't confirm legal compliance.
How we ship your order to the Netherlands
Send your request
The goods and the quantity, through the form below or on WhatsApp.
We send offers and samples
Supplier prices and photos of the goods, and samples if you ask.
We check and combine
We count the pieces, look for faults, measure and weigh the cartons, and send you a report with photos and video.
See an example reportWe ship it to the Netherlands
And we send you the papers before the goods arrive, so your customs broker can start.
Questions about shipping goods to the Netherlands
How long does shipping from Turkey to the Netherlands take?
By sea: a time we confirm with your quote. By road: a time we confirm with your quote. By air: 3–7 days, for samples and urgent orders. Customs clearance in the Netherlands comes on top.
Can I ship in a shared container?
Yes. A shared container starts from one pallet, and you pay for the space your goods take. Try the container tool on this page to see your goods' volume.
What papers does the Netherlands ask for?
An EORI number and customs declaration, an Article 23 permit if you want to defer import VAT, container release in Rotterdam, and labels in Dutch. We prepare the invoice, packing list and A.TR or EUR.1.
Who clears the goods in the Netherlands?
You or your customs broker in the Netherlands. We prepare the invoice, packing list and A.TR or EUR.1 and send them before the goods arrive; the duties are paid in the Netherlands.
Can you combine goods from several suppliers into one shipment?
Yes. We receive the goods from every supplier at our Istanbul warehouse, check them and put them together in one shipment to the Netherlands.
Get a quote for your shipment to the Netherlands
The quote is free, with no obligation. It comes itemised: the price of the goods, our service fee and the shipping, each on its own line.
