Nike suspends online sales in Turkey after tariff increase

Nike Inc. has suspended online sales in Turkey through its website and mobile app, days after Turkey increased customs duties on online purchases from abroad.

“We cannot guarantee our customers that their orders will arrive smoothly and on time, so we are suspending online orders from Turkey for the time being,” the US sneaker giant said in a statement on its official Turkish website.

“We continue to investigate the impact of recent changes in Turkish customs regulations on the shopping experience of Turkish consumers,” Nİke added.

Nike did not specify what changes prompted the move, but a new Turkish regulation this week reduced the tax cap on online purchases by individuals from 150 to 30 euros ($33). For goods bought in the European Union, the tax rate was increased from 20 to 30 percent and for goods bought in other countries from 30 to 60 percent.

The company continues to sell its products in Turkey through its own stores and those of its retail partners.

The new tariff measures are aimed at reducing “negative impacts” on market share and employment – including among shop owners and small and medium-sized enterprises – as well as the loss of foreign currency, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said this week, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.