Turkey opens corn import quota to curb rising feed costs

Turkey has established a tariff rate quota permitting the import of up to 3 million metric tons of corn at a reduced duty to address supply constraints and rising feed costs. Announced in mid-April and effective until the end of July, the measure lowers the in-quota tariff to 5 percent from the standard 130 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

The policy addresses increasing pressure in Turkey’s corn market, where strong demand from the livestock feed and starch industries has raised domestic prices to about TRY 14,500 per metric ton (approximately $326/MT), well above Black Sea import prices of around $255/MT. Authorities state the quota aims to correct supply-demand imbalances and reduce price volatility, especially for feed producers facing higher input costs.

Most imported corn is expected to come from Ukraine and Russia, Turkey’s primary grain suppliers. U.S. corn remains largely excluded due to strict biotechnology regulations. The quota will expire at the end of July, when tariffs return to 130 percent, coinciding with the domestic harvest to protect local farmers from import competition.