On June 17, 2015, experts talked about the import practices of the baby products sector in Turkey at the seminar organized by BAGIDER and Economic Development Foundation. At the seminar, officials from the Ministry of Customs and Trade explained the import regulations, customs practices, test – analysis processes and product market controls.
Mehmet Nuri Görenoğlu, who serves as the treasurer of the Economic Development Foundation gave insight into the works of the EDF on the European Union and Free Trade Agreements in his opening speech and wished success to newly-founded BAGIDER on behalf of his fifty-year-old NGO.
Perviz Aran (Chairman of the Executive Board of BAGIDER) talked about the missions of the association on embracing the whole sector and favoring the benefits of every stakeholder and emphasized the importance of increasing the number of their members in order to proceed influentially and be beneficial to the sector.
Sami Herman (Vice President of BAGIDER) stated that the baby sector has a worth of approximately ₺6.5 billion whose 8% is made up of baby equipment with a trading size of approximately ₺500 million. He expressed that the birth rate in Turkey has a tendency to decrease according to the data by the Turkish Statistical Institute, and the anticipated parity will be 1.180.000 in 2023, while it was 1.280.000 in 2014. He stated that there is a growing number of both the products and the players in the sector which increase competition. He said that the practice of taking samples from the products, especially being the imported ones, at the retail outlets and customs, is affirmative for children’s health. He also added that the separate requests of the same test by two different offices at the customs cause an unnecessary increase in cost and loss of time. He indicated the importance of the necessary analyses and controls in both imported and domestic products in order to ensure their safe use. He reminded that the parents are much more informed when it comes to choosing products, and safety and health are among their preference priorities. He explained that the additional and high taxes on the furniture sector affect the baby products made of plastic instead of wood such as car seats, highchairs, playpens and portative baby beds since they are listed under the same customs tariff. He stated that a committee from BAGIDER visited the Ministry of Economics in Ankara in order to talk about the recent developments and share their opinions.
Yaşar Çiftçi (Head of the Istanbul Customs Laboratory) and Attila Saka (Department of Market Surveillance and Inspection at the Ministry of Customs and Trade) talked about the powers and responsibilities and works on product safety conducted by their departments. Mr. Saka explained the control process that is carried out by 10 different institutions and a superior board, and emphasized that consumer protection and prevention of unfair competition are prioritized in their market surveillance and inspection works, and talked briefly about the regulations.
Selen Akses (Senior Expert of the Economic Development Foundation) gave summarized information on our relations with the European Union. She expressed that, as a result of the new customs precautions, there have been positive improvements in European Union’s favor with other countries. She stated that the European Union is not subject to testing when it comes to the prêt-à-porter industry and new strategies are being put forward.
As the meeting ended with answering the questions directed to the experts, President Perviz Aran delivered the closing speech. Mr. Aran stated that there is a consensus on aiming the improvement of our country by the members of BAGIDER, but they must take the unjust treatment toward the customers into account as well. He added that the countries of the European Union are not subject to new additional taxes; and equipment essential for babies which are not manufactured in our country such as car seats, play yards will be imported from the European Union with high prices. He said that the import processes of the products that arrive in the customs of Istanbul are mandatorily executed at other cities minimum 450 kilometers away for no reason, and that results in the price increase of the imported goods.