Importing natural stone from Turkey: a buyer's checklist
Updated
Turkey is one of the largest natural stone exporters in the world, and Denizli is at the centre of its travertine trade. Buying direct from a producer there is straightforward once you know what to ask for. This is the order things happen in.
1. Ask for a quote that names everything
Send the products, colours, sizes and quantities, and the port you will receive at. A useful quote comes back with a price per square foot or per square metre, the minimum order, the lead time, how the stone is packed, and the delivery terms. If any of those is missing, ask before comparing prices — two quotes on different terms are not comparable.
2. Know the delivery terms
Delivery terms are written as Incoterms. Under FOB (free on board), the seller pays to get the goods loaded at the Turkish port, and the buyer pays the ocean freight and everything after. Under CIF (cost, insurance and freight), the seller also pays the freight and insurance to your port. EXW (ex works) means you collect from the factory. Your freight forwarder will tell you which suits you; most first orders are FOB or CIF.
3. Crates and containers
Ledger panels and mosaics are boxed, and the boxes are strapped into wooden crates. Wooden packaging crossing a border has to be heat treated and stamped to the ISPM 15 standard, so check that the crates are. Because stone is dense, a 20 ft container reaches its weight limit before it is full, so stone almost always ships in 20 ft containers. Ask how many square feet one container holds, to set your landed cost per square foot.
4. Samples before the order
Natural stone varies from block to block. Ask for samples of each colour before ordering, and keep one from the shipment you accept, so a later order can be matched to it.
5. Documents
Expect a commercial invoice, a packing list, the bill of lading and a certificate of origin from the seller. Your customs broker will use them to clear the goods. Ask your broker in advance which documents your country wants and in what form, and send that list to the seller before loading, not after.
6. Importing into the United States
Use a licensed customs broker. For ocean freight into the US, the Importer Security Filing (ISF, often called 10+2) has to be lodged before the goods are loaded at the port of origin, so your broker needs the seller's details early. Your broker will classify the stone under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule and confirm the duty rate that applies; worked monumental and building stone falls under heading 6802. Rates and rules change, so take the current figure from your broker rather than from a website.
7. Payment
A common pattern for a first order is a deposit on confirmation and the balance against the shipping documents. Agree the terms in writing in the proforma invoice before production starts.
