Nearshoring for European OEMs: how Türkiye compares
European OEMs are moving machined-part sourcing closer to home. A factual comparison of Türkiye with Central and Eastern Europe and Asia on the criteria that matter.
Key takeaways
- Türkiye: customs-free industrial trade with the EU, days by road, 1–2 h ahead of Germany (UTC+3 all year).
- Central/Eastern Europe: shortest transit, single market, but capacity- and labour-constrained.
- East Asia: large scale, weeks of transit, larger time-zone and geopolitical exposure.
- Türkiye fits complex, medium-volume parts where process breadth and engineering matter.
Why nearshoring
Long supply chains showed their weakness in recent years: container shortages, port congestion and geopolitical risk. Many European OEMs now prefer suppliers that can reach them by road within days, work in overlapping hours and fall under predictable trade rules — while still offering a cost advantage over domestic production.
Comparison
| Criterion | Türkiye | Central and Eastern Europe | East Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit to Germany | Days by road | Shortest — 1–3 days by road | Weeks by sea |
| Customs with the EU | Customs Union — no duty on industrial goods (A.TR) | EU single market — no customs | Duties per tariff; origin rules |
| Time difference to Germany | +2 h in winter, +1 h during European summer time (Türkiye stays on UTC+3 all year) | 0 to +1 h | +6 to +8 h |
| Machining base | Large, export-oriented; strong in automotive and machinery supply | Large, often capacity-constrained | Very large |
| Labour availability | Large, young workforce | Tight labour markets in many regions | Large |
| Currency | TRY; contracts commonly in EUR | EUR or local currencies | Local currencies; contracts often in USD |
| Typical risks to manage | Currency volatility, transit planning | Capacity and labour cost increases | Transit time, IP, geopolitical exposure |
Qualitative comparison for orientation; conditions vary by supplier and region.
When Türkiye makes sense
Türkiye is strongest for medium-complexity to complex machined parts in low to medium volumes, where engineering depth, a broad process mix (machining, gears, welding, assembly) and a moderate transit time matter more than the absolute lowest piece price. It is also attractive for OEMs whose Central European suppliers are at capacity.
What to look for in a Turkish supplier
- Experience with your industry and your OEM references (with permission)
- Certificates with verifiable numbers; IATF 16949 or AS9100 where relevant
- In-house metrology and a published machine list
- An EU presence for stock, invoicing or contact
- Information security for drawings (ISO/IEC 27001)
Yağmaksan in this picture
We export 95% of our production, mostly to OEMs in Europe and North America. We combine 48 production machines and an in-house CMM laboratory with a logistics centre in Berlin. See manufacturing for Europe.
Related pages
- Technical guides
Sourcing from Türkiye
Customs Union and A.TR, transport, documents and lead-time planning.
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Manufacturing for Europe
Berlin logistics centre, Customs Union, German-speaking contact.
Send us your drawing.
STEP, IGES, DXF or PDF. Quotation within 2–15 business days, depending on size and complexity.