From Turkey to Toronto.
FCL and LCL from Türkiye (Turkey) to the GTA, usually through Montreal or Halifax. Shipping from Turkey to Canada on FCA or FOB terms? You book the main freight, so the choice of forwarder is yours.
Explore the service details
Setara Logistics is a freight forwarder in Vaughan, Ontario. On shipments from Turkey, we book the sailing from the Turkish port, coordinate customs through our licensed customs broker partner, and arrange the last leg from Montreal or Halifax to your dock.
Written for Canadian companies that import commercial goods from Turkish suppliers: the ports by coast, the two Canadian gateways, the buying terms and the duty.
From the Turkish coast to the GTA
Turkey's main container ports sit on three coasts: Ambarli, Kocaeli and Tekirdag on the Sea of Marmara, around Istanbul; Aliaga, near Izmir, on the Aegean; and Mersin on the Mediterranean, in the south. Ask your supplier which one it ships from, and name it in the contract if you buy FOB.
Ships usually cross the Mediterranean and the Atlantic to Montreal or Halifax, often with a transshipment in the Mediterranean on the way. The ocean line sets the routing, and we confirm it with your quote.
Montreal or Halifax?
Through Montreal
Montreal is the largest container port in Eastern Canada, and its international container terminals have dockside rail. CN and CPKC both serve the port, so the container can ride either railway to CN Brampton or CPKC Vaughan. A full container can also come to the GTA by road.
Freight through MontrealThrough Halifax
Inland rail from Halifax is provided by CN. CN rail carries the container from the port to its Brampton terminal, and Setara Transport runs it from CN Brampton to your dock.
The ocean line's routing decides which port your container uses. We name the port and the ramp when we quote.
FOB, FCA or EXW from Turkey: where your part starts
With any of these three terms, the main freight is yours, so you choose the forwarder and the sailing. What differs is where the handover happens.
| Term | Your supplier | Your part starts |
|---|---|---|
| FOB Mersin, Ambarli or another port | Clears Turkish export and loads the goods on board | Once the goods are on board. Sea freight only. |
| FCA, at a named place | Clears export and hands the goods to your carrier: at its dock, a terminal or a consolidator's warehouse | At that handover |
| EXW | Has the goods ready at its site, not loaded | At the supplier's site, with the Turkish export clearance on you |
For a full container, FCA usually fits better than FOB. The supplier hands the box over at the terminal, often days before loading, yet under FOB it keeps the risk until the box is on board. Our Incoterms picker compares all eleven rules.
Full and shared containers from Turkey
For a full container, your supplier loads and seals the box, and we book it with the ocean line. It can often travel on one bill of lading all the way to the GTA ramp, where Setara Transport picks it up for delivery to your dock.
For a smaller lot, your supplier hands the cargo to an LCL consolidator in Turkey. The consolidator ships it in a shared container and unpacks it at a container freight station near the port or in the GTA. Once customs releases it, a vetted partner carrier makes the delivery. We book the consolidator. We do not run a CFS.
Ask for an FCL quote or an LCL quote. Small or urgent? Ask about air freight.
Duty on goods made in Turkey
No free trade agreement between Canada and Turkey is in force. Goods made in Turkey pay the Most-Favoured-Nation rate for their tariff classification, and a Turkish certificate of origin does not lower it the way a CUSMA certificate can for qualifying North American goods.
Some products also face surtaxes or anti-dumping and countervailing duties, and these change. Our licensed customs broker partner checks them when it classifies your goods, so send the product details before you order.
If you are registered for GST/HST, you can generally claim the GST paid at import as an input tax credit. Your accountant can confirm. For a first estimate of duty and tax, try our duty and tax calculator.
New to importing?
Our guide to importing into Canada for the first time lists what to set up before the first order. For the Canadian end of the trip, from the port or ramp to your dock and the charges along the way, see ocean freight into Toronto.
Questions about freight from Turkey.
Can you book freight from Turkey to Canada?
Yes. Setara Logistics in Vaughan, Ontario books FCL and LCL from Turkish ports such as Ambarli, Mersin and Aliaga to the GTA, usually through Montreal or Halifax. We coordinate customs through our licensed customs broker partner and arrange the rail or road leg to your dock.
Which Turkish port will my supplier use?
Ask your supplier, and name the port in the contract if you buy FOB. Ambarli, Kocaeli and Tekirdag are on the Sea of Marmara, around Istanbul. Aliaga is near Izmir, on the Aegean. Mersin is on the Mediterranean, in the south.
Montreal or Halifax: which port will my container use?
The ocean line decides. Montreal's container terminals have dockside rail served by CN and CPKC, and a full container can also come to the GTA by road. Halifax is served by CN rail, which runs to CN Brampton. Sailings from Turkey often stop at a Mediterranean transshipment port on the way.
Is there a Canada and Turkey free trade agreement?
No agreement is in force, so goods made in Turkey pay the Most-Favoured-Nation rate, and a certificate of origin will not lower it. Surtaxes or anti-dumping duties can also apply to some products; our licensed customs broker partner checks them at classification.
Who handles customs on a shipment from Turkey?
In Canada, we coordinate the entry through our licensed customs broker partner. You need your own business number with an import-export (RM) account and a CARM Client Portal account, where you give the broker access. In Turkey, the export clearance sits with your supplier under FCA or FOB, and with you under EXW.
How long does shipping from Turkey to Toronto take?
We do not quote a standard transit time. The sailing, any Mediterranean transshipment, the port of arrival and the rail or road leg from Montreal or Halifax all move it. You get the schedule for your booking with the quote.
Related services, guides and tools.
Services
Ocean freight into Toronto Freight through Montreal Shipping from India to Toronto Shipping from China to Toronto Shipping from Vietnam to Toronto Customs clearanceBuying from a supplier in Turkey?
Send the supplier's city, the port it uses and the cargo details. We will quote the sailing to Montreal or Halifax and the leg to your dock.
Request a quote Talk to a freight specialist