Most buyers who contact us have already found the machine they want. What they are unsure about is everything that happens after the quotation: which documents they need, who issues them, what the real cost of landing the goods is, and how long it takes. This guide walks through the process as it actually runs.
1. Send a request for quotation with the right detail
A quotation can only be prepared once the supplier knows four things. Buyers who include them in the first e-mail usually receive a price the same day; buyers who do not end up in a three-day exchange of questions.
- Model or specification. A model code is ideal. If you do not have one, state capacity and power — "gas cooker, 6 burners, 900 series" is enough to start.
- Quantity. Pricing changes between one unit and a container load.
- Destination port or city. Freight is a real part of the price and cannot be estimated without it.
- Delivery term. EXW, FOB or CIF — see our guide on Incoterms if you are not sure which to ask for.
Voltage and plug type are worth stating as well. Turkish manufacturers build for 220-240V/50Hz as standard; 110V or 60Hz versions usually exist but are made to order and add lead time.
2. Confirm the specification before paying anything
Ask for the technical datasheet and photographs of the actual model, not a catalogue rendering. For equipment that will be installed in a commissioned kitchen or production line, ask for the dimensional drawing. Discovering after shipment that a machine is 80 mm too wide for the doorway is a genuinely common and expensive mistake.
If the equipment is destined for the European Union, confirm the CE marking situation in writing at this stage. Machinery placed on the EU market must carry CE marking and be accompanied by an EU Declaration of Conformity. Until 19 January 2027 this is governed by the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC; from 20 January 2027 the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies instead. A manufacturer who cannot produce a Declaration of Conformity and a technical file is not ready to export to the EU, whatever the CE sticker on the panel says.
3. Agree payment terms
The common structure for industrial equipment from Turkey is a deposit by bank transfer with the balance paid before the goods leave — typically 30% on order confirmation and 70% against the shipping documents or before loading. For first orders above roughly USD 50,000, a letter of credit is normal and protects both sides. Full payment in advance to an unknown supplier is how buyers lose money; if a supplier insists on it for a large order, treat that as a signal.
4. Production and lead time
Stock items ship within days. Made-to-order equipment — most production lines, tanks and custom stainless work — typically takes four to eight weeks. Ask for the lead time in writing and ask what it is measured from: the date of the order, or the date the deposit clears. Those are not the same day.
5. The documents that travel with the goods
Your supplier or their freight forwarder prepares these. You should know what they are, because customs in your country will ask for them.
- Commercial invoice and packing list — always required.
- Bill of lading (sea) or CMR (road) — the transport document.
- Certificate of Origin — issued by a Turkish chamber of commerce, proving the goods were made in Türkiye.
- A.TR movement certificate — for the European Union. Türkiye and the EU are in a customs union for industrial goods, so an A.TR allows the shipment to clear EU customs without import duty. This one document can be worth several per cent of the invoice value.
- EUR.1 certificate — for countries with a free trade agreement with Türkiye, where A.TR does not apply.
- EU Declaration of Conformity and technical file — for CE-marked machinery entering the EU.
6. Shipping
To Europe, road freight is usually the sensible choice: four to seven days door to door, and with an A.TR no import duty. To the Gulf, sea freight from Mersin or Istanbul to Jebel Ali typically runs around two weeks. To West Africa, Lagos or Tema is commonly three to four weeks. Air freight is available for spare parts and small urgent items but rarely makes sense for complete machines.
Allow time for customs clearance at your end — it is outside the supplier's control and is where most "late" deliveries actually go wrong.
7. Installation, spare parts and warranty
Before you close the order, settle three questions in writing: what the warranty covers and for how long, whether spare parts are held in stock, and whether the manufacturer can send a technician for commissioning and on what terms. For a production line this matters more than a few per cent on the price.
Where to start
Browse the category you need, send a request for quotation with the four points from step one, and you will receive pricing, specifications and shipping terms in return. If you are not sure which model fits your application, describe what you are producing and we will suggest options.