Turkey lowers import duty on red lentils from 19.3% to 9%

The Turkish government has decided to lower the import duty on red lentils from 19.3% to 9% until a future date, and has set the import duty for sunflower seeds to zero until June 1, 2021. This decision aims to mitigate the effects of a significant increase in global prices for raw materials and the depreciation of the Turkish lira, which have led to high costs for imported goods and negatively impacted food and feed prices domestically. Turkey's import of sunflower seeds reached approximately 1.1 million tons from October 2019 to September 2020, with Russia, China, and Moldova being the main suppliers.