For UK brands, the post-Brexit UK–Türkiye agreement is a genuine cost advantage over the Far East — but only if you meet the rules of origin. Here's how it actually works.
In force since the start of 2021, the UK–Türkiye Free Trade Agreement lets most knitwear that qualifies enter the UK at 0% customs duty. Compare that with the ~8–12% UK Global Tariff a Chinese-made jumper pays, and on a full bulk order the saving usually dwarfs any difference in unit price. It's one of the clearest reasons UK brands source knit from Turkey rather than the Far East.
The 0% isn't automatic — it applies only to goods that qualify as originating in Türkiye under the agreement's rules of origin. For textiles (HS 50–63) those rules are strict: EU processing generally cannot be cumulated, so the knitting and making-up genuinely has to happen in Turkey. Buy a finished garment that was really made elsewhere and routed through Turkey, and it won't qualify. We knit from yarn in our own factory, which is exactly what makes the origin claim stand up.
Check the product-specific rule for your commodity code with your customs broker. For knit-from-yarn-in-Turkey jumpers, this is normally straightforward.
We issue an EUR.1 movement certificate (or origin declaration on the invoice) evidencing Turkish origin — the document your broker presents to claim preference.
Your broker claims the preferential 0% rate on the customs declaration, citing the proof of origin. No claim, no preference — the duty defaults to the standard rate.
A few pence saved on a unit price in the Far East can vanish against a double-digit tariff at UK import, plus four-to-six-week freight and the cash tied up in it. Duty-free entry from Turkey, with roughly 10–14 day shipping to Felixstowe, changes the landed-cost maths — which is the number that actually hits your margin.
We're a knitwear manufacturer, not a customs broker — this is general guidance, not customs or legal advice, and agreements and commodity codes change. Confirm the current rules and your classification with a licensed customs broker. What we provide is genuinely Turkish-origin production and the EUR.1 / origin documentation to back your claim.
Send your styles and quantities. We'll quote ex-works and, with your broker's duty figure, you can compare a true UK landed cost against your current sourcing.