Recent Development
The Ministry of Trade (“Ministry“) published the Communiqué on the Use of Domestic Production Logos on Product Price Tags (“Communiqué“) in the Official Gazette on October 5, 2018. The Communiqué requires the use of domestic production logos on the labels and price lists of the goods that are produced in Turkey and offered for retail sale in the Turkish market.
What’s New?
Pursuant to Communiqué, the price tags and price lists of the goods sold on retail level must now include the place of production; the distinctive feature of the goods; the sale price, including all taxes; the unit price; the effective date of the prices; and the shapes, logos and marks as described and announced by the Ministry.
Communiqué also provides that the “domestic production logo” must be placed on the labels and price lists in an easily visible and legible manner and in the original colors and forms as specified in the Communiqué. Communiqué also expressly sets forth the size and ratios of the logo to be placed.
Under the Communiqué, the following products are considered domestic products: (i) goods produced by the businesses specified under Article 1 of Industry Registry Law No. 6948; (ii) handicraft goods produced in Turkey; and (iii) goods specified under Article 18 of the Customs Law No. 4458 that are produced in Turkey (i.e. herbal products, mining products, fishing and hunting products or animal-derived products).
The full text of the Communiqué is available here (in Turkish).
Conclusion
The Ministry places great importance on the use of domestic production logos and continues to issue detailed regulations in this regard. Companies should follow the Ministry’s announcements and comply with the requirements set forth under the Communiqué before introducing their products into the market.
