The American company Nike announced the suspension of its online sales in Turkey via its website and mobile application, days after a Turkish decision to increase customs taxes on online purchases from abroad.
According to a report published by Bloomberg, the American sports shoe company said in a statement published on its official website in Turkey: "We cannot guarantee that our customers' orders will arrive smoothly and on time, so we are suspending online orders from Turkey for the time being."
The company added in a statement: "We are studying the impact of recent changes in Turkish customs regulations on the shopping experience for Turkish consumers."
Although Nike has not yet specified the actual motivations that led to its decision, it comes after a new Turkish regulation last week, which lowered the threshold required to impose a tax on individuals' online purchases to 30 euros ($33) from 150 euros.
The regulation also raised the tax rate to 30 percent from 20 percent on goods purchased from the European Union, and to 60 percent from 30 percent on those purchased from other countries.
The company continues to sell its products in Turkey at its own stores and those of its retail affiliates.
According to Bloomberg, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said last week that the new customs measures aim to limit “negative impacts” on market share and employment, including among shopkeepers and small and medium-sized businesses, as well as the loss of foreign currency, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
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