Importing furniture from Turkey: a buyer's step-by-step guide

Importing furniture from Turkey usually starts with a catalogue and ends with a container at your warehouse. What happens in between decides whether the goods arrive as expected: which models you pick, how clearly you describe the order, how it is packed and on what delivery terms it ships.

This guide is written by Ellda Mobilya, a Turkish furniture manufacturer producing sofa sets, corner sofas, bed base sets and mattresses in Kayseri since 2010. It covers the steps from shortlist to shipment, the questions worth asking any furniture supplier in Turkey, and the basic Incoterms you will see in quotes.

Why buyers source upholstered furniture and bedding from Turkey

Importers look at Türkiye for several practical reasons rather than a single one:

• Location. Turkey sits between Europe, the Middle East, the Caucasus and North Africa, which gives buyers in these regions sea and road options.
• An established upholstery and bedding industry. Sofa, corner sofa, bed base and mattress production relies on frames, foam, fabrics, springs and mechanisms, and these supply chains are well developed in the country.
• Fabric and colour flexibility. Upholstered products are made to order in many factories, so fabric and colour can often be discussed per order instead of choosing only from stock.
• Manufacturer access. Buyers can deal directly with factories, see production by appointment and communicate in English, and often in Arabic.

None of this makes every supplier suitable. The steps below are about checking fit before you commit.

Kayseri as a furniture production hub

Kayseri, in central Anatolia, is one of Turkey's main centres for upholstered furniture and mattress production. Its organized industrial zone brings many manufacturers and component suppliers close together, and the city is connected by road to domestic markets and to export ports.

Our factory is in Kayseri Organized Industrial Zone, with a 15,000 m² production area. You can read how we produce in Kayseri, from quote approval to packing.

Step by step: from catalogue to shipment

1. Shortlist models from the catalogue

Start with the product groups your market actually buys. Browse our catalogue: four product groups and 82 models, each listed with piece dimensions. Our PDF catalogues (furniture 2026 and bedding 2025) show model and piece names in Turkish and English, which makes it easier to share a shortlist with your own team.

Check dimensions against your market early. A 295 cm sofa that suits large living rooms in one country may be hard to sell where apartments are smaller. The sofa sets section lists sofa widths from 220 to 295 cm; bed base sets come in 160 × 200, 180 × 200 and 90 × 200 cm mattress sizes. Make sure these sizes match the mattress and bedding standards in your country.

2. Send a complete quote request

A quote is only as accurate as the enquiry behind it. For an export quote, prepare:

• Country and delivery city or port
• Model names and quantities
• Fabric and colour preferences
• Preferred delivery terms
• Target delivery date

Use the model names exactly as they appear in the catalogue and list pieces separately (for example, sofa and armchair counts within a sofa set). If you plan to combine several product groups, include them all in the same enquiry.

3. Samples and factory visit

Before a first order, many importers want to see the product. Ask the supplier what is possible: fabric swatches, a sample piece, or a visit. Ellda Mobilya receives dealers and buyers at the Kayseri factory by appointment, which lets you see models, upholstery details and packing in person. Arrange the visit with the sales team before travelling.

4. Production

Once the quote is approved, the order is scheduled according to materials and capacity. Frames and base bodies are prepared, fabric is cut and sewn, and pieces are upholstered to the catalogue details. Dimensions, stitching, surfaces and mechanisms are checked before shipping. Agree in advance how you will be updated on production status and who your single point of contact is.

5. Packing

Upholstered furniture travels badly if packing is an afterthought. Products for export are packed for long-distance transport, and at Ellda the loading plan is shared with the quote. Review it: it shows how pieces fit in the container and helps you plan unloading at the other end.

6. Shipping and customs

Shipping is arranged according to the delivery terms in the quote. On your side, you will usually work with a freight forwarder and a customs broker. Check duties, taxes and product classification for your country before ordering, not after the container leaves. Upholstered seating generally falls under HS heading 9401 and mattresses and mattress supports under 9404; your broker will confirm the exact code.

Mixed loads: sofas and bedding in one shipment

Many importers and stores sell both living room and bedroom products. Buying them from separate suppliers means separate quotes, separate timelines and often less-than-full containers from each.

Because Ellda produces seating and bedroom products in one factory, sofa sets, corner sofas, bed bases and mattresses can be planned in the same shipment. A mixed load lets you test several product groups in your market with a single order and a single supplier relationship. When you request a wholesale or export quote, list every group you are considering so the loading plan reflects the real mix.

Questions to ask any furniture supplier in Turkey

Whether you work with us or another manufacturer, ask these questions and get the answers in writing:

• Are you the manufacturer? Ask where production happens and whether you can visit.
• What is the lead time for this order? It normally depends on model, quantity and season.
• How are products packed for export? Ask for the packing method and a loading plan.
• Which fabric and colour options are available for each model, and how are they confirmed before production?
• What is the minimum order quantity per model or fabric?
• Can different product groups ship together in one container?
• Which delivery terms are quoted, and what exactly is included in the price?
• Who is my contact, and in which languages can we communicate?

Ellda Mobilya gives lead time, packing, fabric options, minimums and delivery terms in the quote itself, because they depend on the models, quantities and destination in your request.

Incoterms in a furniture quote: EXW, FOB and CIF

Incoterms are international rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). They define where the seller delivers the goods, who pays which costs and where risk passes to the buyer. The current version is Incoterms 2020. Three terms appear often in furniture trade:

• EXW (Ex Works): The seller makes the goods available at its own premises. The buyer arranges and pays for loading, export clearance, transport and insurance, and carries the risk from that point.
• FOB (Free On Board): The seller clears the goods for export and delivers them on board the vessel at the named port of shipment. Risk passes when the goods are on board; the buyer pays sea freight and insurance. FOB is for sea and inland waterway transport.
• CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight): The seller pays sea freight and minimum insurance cover to the named destination port. Risk still passes to the buyer when the goods are on board at the port of shipment, even though the seller pays freight to the destination.

For containerised goods, the ICC recommends FCA rather than FOB, and CIP rather than CIF, because containers are usually handed over at a terminal before loading. Discuss with your forwarder which term fits your shipment. At Ellda, delivery terms and shipping conditions are stated in the quote according to your request.

Next step

Shortlist models from the catalogue, gather the information listed above and send it through our export page or request a quote directly. Our sales team replies in English, Arabic or Turkish.