Turkey secures an advantage in the latest US customs tariff adjustments, as reported by the Trade Ministry.
As of early August 2025, negotiations between Turkey and the United States have not resulted in lower tariffs for Turkish imports. Instead, the U.S. has increased tariffs on all Turkish imports, including key sectors such as steel, automotive, and copper, to 15 percent, effective August 7, 2025 [1][2].
The tariff hike is part of President Trump's broader overhaul of U.S. trade policy, implementing "reciprocal tariffs" based on trade imbalances. Compared to higher tariffs on some other countries, the increase is moderate for Turkey [1][2].
The higher tariffs could potentially slow export growth or cause short-term contractions for Turkish exporters in sectors like automotive, textiles, and steel [1]. The U.S. had previously set a 10 percent tariff on Turkish imports, reflecting Turkey’s "white list" status due to relatively balanced bilateral trade and mutual investment [1].
The Trump administration has successfully negotiated trade deals reducing tariffs with other partners like the EU, Japan, and South Korea. However, no specific new trade deal with Turkey has been reported, and Turkey faces the 15 percent tariff uniformly on imports to the U.S. [3][4]. There is no indication that copper-specific tariffs were separately negotiated; instead, tariffs apply broadly, including copper products, within this reciprocal tariff framework [4].
The U.S. President has issued a decree showing that Turkey is among the countries with a positively progressing negotiation process. Intensive negotiations continue between Turkey and U.S. authorities regarding tariffs in strategic sectors like steel, automotive, and copper. Contacts are being made to achieve an opening that meets Turkey's expectations, especially for the textile and apparel sector [5].
Turkey's priority is to ensure foreign trade with the U.S. progresses within a predictable, fair, and sustainable framework. However, the statement did not provide any specific details about the ongoing diplomatic and technical talks between Turkey and U.S. authorities [5].
The statement did not mention any direct impact of the tariff changes on U.S. copper markets' oversupply or price drops. Additionally, there were no changes or updates regarding tariffs on products like refined copper, ore, and concentrate [6].
The U.S. has identified Canada, Mexico, Thailand, and India as its main partners that have not yet reached trade agreements. Tariffs on India will be applied with additional monetary penalties by the U.S. [7].
In summary, there are currently no lowered tariffs or trade agreements easing tariff barriers between the U.S. and Turkey in the steel, automotive, or copper sectors. The U.S. has increased tariffs on Turkish imports to a baseline 15 percent, reflecting ongoing trade tensions and a broader U.S. strategy of employing reciprocal tariffs as leverage in global trade negotiations [1][2][3].
- Despite the on-going negotiations between Turkey and the United States, as of early August 2025, a reduction in tariffs for Turkish imports remains elusive, with the U.S. instead increasing tariffs on Turkish imports, such as steel, automotive, and copper, to 15 percent.
- The Trump administration's trade policy overhaul, which includes reciprocal tariffs based on trade imbalances, has resulted in a moderate increase in tariffs for Turkish imports compared to some other countries.
- Turkish exporters in sectors like automotive, textiles, and steel could potentially experience slow export growth or short-term contractions due to the higher tariffs.
- While the U.S. has successfully negotiated trade deals reducing tariffs with partners like the EU, Japan, and South Korea, as of the latest reports, no specific new trade deal with Turkey has been agreed upon, leaving Turkey facing a 15 percent uniform tariff on imports to the U.S.
