## Company Profile ASIAPAC TURKEY TASIMACILIK AS — freight forwarder based in Türkiye. Contact: Ceren Tureli, Country Overseas Network Director (email on file). Public-facing domain is allcargoturkey.com; company appears focused on international forwarding between Türkiye and Asia/EMEA markets with services likely including ocean/air/road forwarding, customs clearance, transshipment and project cargo, and agent/network management for cross-border trade. Scale: country-level forwarder (mid-sized) with an overseas network role — precise revenue/TEU scale not publicly available in open sources. ## Pain Points 1) Compliance & documentation burden on EU‑bound industrial shippers (CBAM from Jan 2026) — exporters need emissions data, product-level declarations and customs workflows that forwarders must support or lose business. 2) Route and capacity volatility (Red Sea security, longer Asia–Europe transit via Cape/Mediterranean feedering, container equipment imbalances) — increases costs and requires rapid alternative routing/origin sourcing. 3) Agri/black‑sea transshipment complexity and seasonal surges — clients need short-term storage, repackaging, inspections and verified buyer/supplier matches to keep perishable and packaged-food flows moving. ## Intel Summary === MULTI-DIMENSION RESEARCH === === 1. DEMAND SIGNALS === (Turkey freight forwarding demand, China–Turkey trade, Turkey–EU trade flows, logistics/container trends) **Turkey–EU trade flows and logistics demand** - Türkiye–EU trade remains very large and balanced. TradeInt estimates total EU–Türkiye goods trade in 2025 at about **US$168.3 billion**, with **US$76 billion** in EU exports to Türkiye and **US$92.3 billion** in EU imports from Türkiye. Key export categories from Türkiye to the EU include vehicles (HS 87, ~US$18.1B), machinery (HS 84, ~US$8B), and refined fuels (HS 27, ~US$6.5B). ([tradeint.com](https://tradeint.com/insights/top-5-europe-biggest-trade-partners-2025/?utm_source=openai)) - Between January–July 2025 alone, Türkiye imported **US$67.7B** from the EU and exported **US$67.6B**, for **US$135.3B** in two‑way trade, underscoring dense, high‑frequency freight flows (truck, Ro‑Ro, shortsea, and container). ([tradeint.com](https://tradeint.com/insights/turkey-trade-with-europe-2025-import-export-analysis/?utm_source=openai)) **Turkey’s role as logistics/manufacturing hub** - A recent factsheet from the European Commission (2026) reiterates that the EU–Türkiye Customs Union keeps industrial goods largely tariff‑free and deeply integrates Türkiye into EU value chains; the EU remains Türkiye’s leading trade partner. ([enlargement.ec.europa.eu](https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/89e8a31c-6e4b-45bb-a0a9-e09eae1b4b68_en?filename=Turkiye+2025+factsheet.pdf&utm_source=openai)) - A 2026 Invest in Türkiye logistics report notes that enhanced ports, airports, and road infrastructure have positioned Türkiye as a regional logistics hub, with total trade with the EU‑27 valued at **US$22.6B** (likely a specific segment) and **US$20.3B** with other regions for 2025 in the cited table, alongside continued growth in commercial services trade volumes to 2026. ([invest.gov.tr](https://www.invest.gov.tr/de/library/publications/lists/investpublications/logistics-transportation-industry.pdf?download=&utm_source=openai)) **Turkey freight forwarding demand & carrier investment** - CMA CGM expanded its Turkey operations in 2025, citing **“surging Turkey‑EU trade”** and using new capacity and digital tools to cut shippers’ logistics costs by **20–30%** on certain lanes. This expansion is explicitly positioned as preparation for continued demand growth and compliance (including EU CBAM from 2026). ([freightamigo.com](https://www.freightamigo.com/logistics-news/cma-cgm-expands-turkish-presence-how-freightamigos-digital-platform-enhances-turkey-eu-trade/?utm_source=openai)) - Anadolu Agency (AA) coverage in early 2026 highlights that security risks in the **Red Sea/Suez** have “severely hampered traditional maritime logistics flows,” and Turkish officials frame Türkiye as a **“complementary hub in transatlantic trade”** under its 2026 and 2030 economic visions. The same piece stresses friend‑shoring and updating the EU Customs Union to sustain and grow trade flows—drivers of medium‑term freight forwarding demand into and out of Türkiye. ([aa.com.tr](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai)) **China–Turkey / Asia–Turkey trade and container trends** - Global container markets in early 2026 show weak underlying volumes but tight capacity on some China‑origin lanes due to blank sailings and equipment imbalance; this environment affects freight prices on Asia–Mediterranean and Asia–Turkey routes as well. A March 2026 container market outlook projects **modest container volume growth in 2026**, with demand still below pre‑2022 peaks, but with better conditions than 2025 due to capacity reductions. ([cyprusshippingnews.com](https://cyprusshippingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Container-Shipping-Market-Overview-Outlook-March-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai)) - Red Sea re‑routing (around the Cape of Good Hope) has lengthened transit times from Asia to Europe and East Med, increasing **ton‑mile demand**. Türkiye, located at the convergence of East‑West and North‑South corridors, benefits from additional relay, transshipment, and feeder volumes as carriers and forwarders redesign networks to avoid high‑risk areas. ([aa.com.tr](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai)) **Energy and LNG logistics as a demand driver** - S&P Global data (May 2026) shows Türkiye imported **6.9 million tonnes of LNG so far in 2026**, slightly up from **6.57 million tonnes in 2025**, leveraging its terminals and pipelines to supply neighboring EU markets. Flows from Türkiye to Bulgaria and onwards to Central/Eastern Europe have expanded, underpinning increased regional gas/LNG‑related shipping and pipeline flows. ([spglobal.com](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/lng/050626-turkish-gas-and-lng-imports-grow-targets-to-become-a-regional-gas-hub?utm_source=openai)) - Another 2026 LNG trade analysis notes that between the first five months of 2025 and 2026, Türkiye’s **number of LNG cargoes actually fell 10% (87 → 78)**, but a shift toward longer‑haul Atlantic Basin sourcing (e.g., West Africa) raised **ton‑mile demand**, implying more vessel days per cargo and tighter LNG shipping balances into the Eastern Mediterranean. ([vesseltracker.com](https://www.vesseltracker.com/en/news/138.html?utm_source=openai)) **Net demand implication for freight forwarders** - Taken together, these trends point to: - resilient and slightly growing **EU‑bound industrial cargoes** (vehicles, machinery, metals, fuels); - **reconfigured Asia–Europe and LNG routes** that increase ton‑mile and complexity even if pure TEU growth is modest; - and policy‑driven shifts (CBAM, green fuels) that increase the value‑add of advisory‑oriented freight forwarding and customs brokerage in Türkiye from 2026 onward. ([aa.com.tr](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai)) === 2. COMMODITY TRENDS === (Black Sea wheat & sunflower oil exports, Turkey’s role, disruptions & freight impacts, 2026) **Black Sea wheat export flows & disruptions** - While very recent 2026‑specific export stats by origin are still limited, forward‑looking shipping and trade reports continue to treat the Black Sea (Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, plus transshipment via Türkiye) as a major wheat export origin, but with **persistent logistics and insurance risk premia** because of regional security conditions and periodic attacks on port/rail infrastructure in and around the Black Sea. ([supplychainandlogistics.org](https://supplychainandlogistics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/annual-review-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai)) - Global shipping market reviews for 2026 note that grain and oilseed trades remain **volume‑supportive for dry bulk**, although container rates are weak. Longer and more circuitous routing (e.g., shifting some Ukrainian origin flows via Danube and Black Sea coastal ports, or via overland to EU ports) has added to ton‑mile demand for bulk carriers. ([supplychainandlogistics.org](https://supplychainandlogistics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/annual-review-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai)) **Turkey’s role in Black Sea grain/oilseed logistics** - Türkiye remains central as a **maritime gateway between Black Sea origins and Mediterranean/MENA markets**, both for bulk carriers and, to a lesser extent, containerized agri‑food shipments. Policy commentary from Ankara and Brussels emphasizes Türkiye’s function as a hub to sustain regional food exports despite geopolitical tensions. ([aa.com.tr](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai)) - Turkish ports on the Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean (e.g., Izmit, Mersin, Iskenderun) handle significant volumes of **transshipped grains and vegetable oils** from the wider Black Sea; freight forwarders in Türkiye increasingly bundle services such as **cross‑docking, storage, and re‑export** into MENA and EU. While precise 2026 tonnage split Black Sea→Turkey→third markets is not yet quantified in the most recent open sources, shipping and investment reports identify agri‑bulk as a core driver of port utilization alongside containers and energy cargo. ([invest.gov.tr](https://www.invest.gov.tr/de/library/publications/lists/investpublications/logistics-transportation-industry.pdf?download=&utm_source=openai)) **Sunflower oil and vegetable oil trade** - Ukraine and Russia remain key global exporters of **sunflower seed and sunflower oil**, but war‑related risks and corridor disruptions continue to cause **seasonal volatility in flows** and freight rates into Mediterranean buyers. Shipment patterns increasingly diversify via alternative Black Sea ports and Danube river ports, with Türkiye serving as a critical **processing and transshipment hub** into the Middle East and North Africa, where demand for bottled oils and industrial fats is growing. (This is consistent with pre‑2024 patterns; recent 2025–26 industry discussion still points in the same direction, though hard 2026 sunflower‑oil‑only numbers are less visible in open data so far.) ([supplychainandlogistics.org](https://supplychainandlogistics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/annual-review-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai)) **Impact on freight volumes & patterns in 2026** - Because of ongoing **navigation and insurance constraints in parts of the Black Sea**, some grain and oilseed volumes are re‑routed or concentrated in relatively safer ports, increasing **voyage distances and congestion** at transshipment hubs such as Türkiye, Romania, and Greek ports. This supports freight demand for: - **Panamax/Handysize bulk carriers** handling wheat and corn; - **tanker/chemical and vegoil carriers** handling sunflower and other vegetable oils; - **feeder/container services** linked to refined and packaged food exports from Türkiye into the EU and MENA. ([supplychainandlogistics.org](https://supplychainandlogistics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/annual-review-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai)) - The net effect is that even when total Black Sea export tonnage is flat to slightly down vs earlier high‑export years, the **logistics workload per tonne** (extra handling, storage, inspections, and security‑driven detours) is higher, which is supportive for freight forwarding activity centered on Turkish ports. ([aa.com.tr](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai)) === 3. TIMING SIGNALS === (2026 regulatory & seasonal timing for Turkish exporters: customs changes, EU trade measures/CBAM, export peak seasons) **3.1 EU CBAM definitive phase from 2026** - The European Commission confirms that the **Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)** moved from its transitional reporting‑only phase (Oct 2023–end 2025) into its **definitive regime on 1 January 2026**. From this date, imports of covered goods—initially including iron & steel, aluminium, cement, fertilizers, electricity, and hydrogen—generate a **CBAM financial liability** for EU importers, even though CBAM certificates will only be purchased and surrendered from 2027 (first surrender for 2026 imports due by **30 September 2027**). ([taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en?utm_source=openai)) - A March 2026 article summarizing early implementation notes that by **7 January 2026**, more than **12,000 operators** had applied for CBAM authorization and **4,100+** had already been granted “authorised CBAM declarant” status, with over **10,000 customs declarations** involving CBAM goods validated automatically. This indicates high early uptake and points to CBAM becoming a standard part of customs processes in 2026. ([expometals.net](https://www.expometals.net/en/news/cbam-2026?utm_source=openai)) - Sector‑specific analysis for Turkish exporters (steel, aluminium, fertilisers, etc.) suggests **additional costs of roughly 11% of export prices by 2026** for Turkish steel shipments into the EU under plausible carbon‑price and emissions‑intensity assumptions, with potentially significant trade‑flow re‑routing if exporters cannot reduce embodied emissions or pass through costs. ([steelorbis.com](https://www.steelorbis.com/steel-news/latest-news/anil-akalin-cbam-to-increase-costs-and-pressure-eu-bound-exports-1443328.htm?utm_source=openai)) - Turkish advisory pieces aimed at manufacturers stress that **data collection and emissions calculation must be in place before January 2026** to avoid disruption, and that CBAM will influence not just direct exporters but also **indirect exporters and upstream suppliers** feeding into EU‑bound value chains. ([birasyo.com](https://birasyo.com/en/blog/cbam-2026-readiness/?utm_source=openai)) **3.2 EU customs and e‑commerce reforms by mid‑2026** - EU customs reform for e‑commerce is scheduled to take effect in **July 2026**, eliminating certain low‑value exemptions and centralizing clearance in a new EU Customs Data Hub. While targeted at B2C parcels, this will reshape small‑parcel flows between Türkiye and EU consumers and may prompt consolidation via specialized e‑commerce logistics providers. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/woo_shipping_help/comments/1t9rfbg/eu_customs_duty_changes_2026_what_ecommerce/?utm_source=openai)) **3.3 Turkish customs tightening in early 2026** - Anecdotal but recent user reports from early 2026 indicate that from **February 2026**, Turkish customs applied **stricter procedures even for low‑value imports**, removing simplified/automatic processing that had previously been common for small parcels, particularly from EU origins. This points to a potential shift toward tighter enforcement and possibly higher administrative burdens for small cross‑border flows. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskTurkey/comments/1rzgxo3/shipping_from_europe_to_turkey_how_bad_are_the/?utm_source=openai)) **3.4 Seasonal peak patterns for Turkish exports** - While the latest 2026‑specific seasonality tables are not yet published, historical trade patterns (and still‑valid 2025 data) indicate: - **Automotive and machinery exports** (core CBAM‑relevant categories like steel‑intensive vehicles and parts) typically **peak from March–June and again in September–November**, aligned with EU production cycles and retail seasons. ([tradeint.com](https://tradeint.com/insights/top-5-europe-biggest-trade-partners-2025/?utm_source=openai)) - **Agri‑food exports (fresh fruit/veg, nuts, processed foods)** see strong peaks aligned with harvests: - **Citrus, pomegranates, some vegetables**: Q4–Q1; - **Stone fruits (cherries, apricots, peaches)**: late Q2–Q3; - **Hazelnuts and some pulses**: post‑harvest Q3–Q4. These cycles are structurally stable and will continue to drive **seasonal surges in reefer, truck, Ro‑Ro, and shortsea capacity demand** through 2026. (This part is inferred from pre‑2024 export calendars plus ongoing role of Türkiye as a major EU fresh‑produce supplier.) ([teknikengel.ticaret.gov.tr](https://teknikengel.ticaret.gov.tr/sites/other/teknikengel/uploads/K%C3%BCresel%20Ticaret%20G%C3%B6r%C3%BCn%C3%BCm%C3%BC%20ve%20%C4%B0statistikler-Nisan%202025.pdf?utm_source=openai)) **3.5 Strategic timing signals for 2026–27** - Because **CBAM liability starts with 2026 shipments** but the first CBAM certificate surrender only occurs in **September 2027**, 2026–early 2027 is effectively the **window for Turkish exporters and logistics providers to:** - refine emissions data, product‑ and plant‑level factors; - decide which products to prioritize for EU vs non‑EU markets; - and build CBAM‑compliant routing and documentation workflows into freight forwarding and customs processes. ([taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en?utm_source=openai)) - Simultaneously, Türkiye is pushing to **update the EU–Türkiye Customs Union** and deepen integration into the EU’s “Made in EU” and green‑industry policies, which—if negotiations progress through 2026—could further anchor industrial supply chains and associated freight flows in and through Türkiye into the late 2020s. ([aa.com.tr](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai)) Sources: • Top 5 EU Biggest Trade Partners - 2025 Insights & Analytics https://tradeint.com/insights/top-5-europe-biggest-trade-partners-2025/?utm_source=openai • Turkey Trade with Europe - 2025 Import-Export Analysis https://tradeint.com/insights/turkey-trade-with-europe-2025-import-export-analysis/?utm_source=openai • THE EU AND https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/89e8a31c-6e4b-45bb-a0a9-e09eae1b4b68_en?filename=Turkiye+2025+factsheet.pdf&utm_source=openai • Global Change: https://www.invest.gov.tr/de/library/publications/lists/investpublications/logistics-transportation-industry.pdf?download=&utm_source=openai • CMA CGM Expands Turkish Presence: How FreightAmigo's Digital Platform Enhances Turkey-EU Trade | FreightAmigo https://www.freightamigo.com/logistics-news/cma-cgm-expands-turkish-presence-how-freightamigos-digital-platform-enhances-turkey-eu-trade/?utm_source=openai • 'Türkiye can seize opportunity to become key complementary hub in transatlantic trade' https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai • Container Shipping Market Overview and Outlook https://cyprusshippingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Container-Shipping-Market-Overview-Outlook-March-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai • 'Türkiye can seize opportunity to become key complementary hub in transatlantic trade' https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai • Turkish gas and LNG imports grow, targets to become a regional gas hub | S&P Global https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/lng/050626-turkish-gas-and-lng-imports-grow-targets-to-become-a-regional-gas-hub?utm_source=openai • Türkiye Rewires Its LNG Strategy - Wood Mackenzie - vesseltracker.com https://www.vesseltracker.com/en/news/138.html?utm_source=openai • 'Türkiye can seize opportunity to become key complementary hub in transatlantic trade' https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai • Shipping and Shipbuilding Markets https://supplychainandlogistics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/annual-review-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai • Shipping and Shipbuilding Markets https://supplychainandlogistics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/annual-review-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai • 'Türkiye can seize opportunity to become key complementary hub in transatlantic trade' https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai • Global Change: https://www.invest.gov.tr/de/library/publications/lists/investpublications/logistics-transportation-industry.pdf?download=&utm_source=openai • Shipping and Shipbuilding Markets https://supplychainandlogistics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/annual-review-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai • Shipping and Shipbuilding Markets https://supplychainandlogistics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/annual-review-2026.pdf?utm_source=openai • 'Türkiye can seize opportunity to become key complementary hub in transatlantic trade' https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai • Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism - Taxation and Customs Union https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en?utm_source=openai • CBAM in 2026: affected importers, thresholds, and early figures https://www.expometals.net/en/news/cbam-2026?utm_source=openai • Anıl Akalın: CBAM to increase costs and pressure EU-bound exports https://www.steelorbis.com/steel-news/latest-news/anil-akalin-cbam-to-increase-costs-and-pressure-eu-bound-exports-1443328.htm?utm_source=openai • CBAM 2026 Countdown: A Readiness Guide for Turkish Manufacturers Exporting to the EU | Birasyo Blog https://birasyo.com/en/blog/cbam-2026-readiness/?utm_source=openai • EU Customs Duty Changes 2026: What E-Commerce Merchants Must Do https://www.reddit.com/r/woo_shipping_help/comments/1t9rfbg/eu_customs_duty_changes_2026_what_ecommerce/?utm_source=openai • Shipping from Europe to Turkey: How bad are the current customs/fees for small items? https://www.reddit.com/r/AskTurkey/comments/1rzgxo3/shipping_from_europe_to_turkey_how_bad_are_the/?utm_source=openai • Top 5 EU Biggest Trade Partners - 2025 Insights & Analytics https://tradeint.com/insights/top-5-europe-biggest-trade-partners-2025/?utm_source=openai • Global Trade Outlook https://teknikengel.ticaret.gov.tr/sites/other/teknikengel/uploads/K%C3%BCresel%20Ticaret%20G%C3%B6r%C3%BCn%C3%BCm%C3%BC%20ve%20%C4%B0statistikler-Nisan%202025.pdf?utm_source=openai • Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism - Taxation and Customs Union https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en?utm_source=openai • 'Türkiye can seize opportunity to become key complementary hub in transatlantic trade' https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkiye-can-seize-opportunity-to-become-key-complementary-hub-in-transatlantic-trade/3838869?utm_source=openai