Why you go step by step
A fault in veneer does not show up while you are looking at the veneer. It shows up in the press. An over-wet batch blisters, the wrong species does not deliver the strength you designed for, a batch with a poor grade share yields no face material. What these faults have in common is that none of them can be corrected after pressing.
That is why a first order is not a price negotiation but a verification exercise. Each step commits more capital than the one before it, and at each step you can stop.
| Step | Capital committed | Time | What you learn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Samples | Courier cost | 1–2 weeks | Whether the grade, moisture and tolerances are real |
| 2. Trial container | ~10,200–11,200 USD | 22–32 days | Whether shipment, paperwork and the payment channel work |
| 3. Regular purchasing | ~3 containers per railcar | — | Whether price and schedule hold |
Step 1 — Samples
Ask for a sample pack and measure the following yourself:
- Moisture content. With your own instrument. Compare it against the figure in the shipping documents.
- Thickness tolerance. Several readings from different sheets; is it inside the ±0.1 mm band.
- Grade distribution. In a mixed 1–4 batch, is the grade 1–2 share at the level claimed.
- Surface. Knot density, splits, holes, colour variation.
The most valuable test: put the samples through a small trial on your own press. Glue consumption, press time and the resulting surface tell you what no document can.
Step 2 — Fix the contract
The contract is the one document that closes off, in advance, every argument that can arise later. These clauses have to be written out explicitly:
| Clause | How it should read |
|---|---|
| GTİP (Turkish customs tariff code) | 4408.90 |
| Species | Betula — in Latin; “birch” is not enough |
| Format and tolerance | 2600 × 1300 mm, ±5 mm |
| Thickness | 1.5 mm nominal, ±0.1 mm |
| Moisture content | 5–8% and which measurement method governs |
| Grade | Mixed 1–4, grade 1–2 share as a percentage |
| Delivery terms | CIF + port name (Ambarlı / Gemlik / Mersin) |
| Currency and rate | USD or EUR; the rate date stated |
| Payment terms | Advance percentage and which document releases the balance |
| Packing | Strapping, dunnage battens, moisture-barrier film |
| Delay | The consequence of a payment or shipment delay |
Step 3 — Structure the payment
Confirm the payment channel with your bank before you sign the contract. The order of operations should be:
- Take the draft contract and the GTİP code to your bank’s foreign trade desk and get written confirmation.
- Transfer the advance tranche (20–30%) — the cheapest way to prove the channel works.
- Transfer the balance when the shipping documents arrive.
For KKDF (Resource Utilisation Support Fund) purposes this structure counts as prepayment: settlement completes before the customs declaration is registered, so the 6% levy does not arise. On a 100,000 USD lot that is 6,000 USD. The detail is on the payment methods and customs clearance pages.
Step 4 — The trial container
A single 40’HC, 33 m³ in the 2600 × 1300 format. Approximate cost:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Goods value (33 m³ × ~219 USD) | ≈ 7,220 USD |
| Freight | 2,970–3,960 USD |
| CIF total | ≈ 10,200–11,200 USD |
| KDV (Turkish VAT) at 20% | On the CIF plus duty base |
| Delivery | 22–32 days |
Documents to ask for at the time of loading: loading photographs, the weighing record, the moisture measurement record and the packing list.
Step 5 — Inspection on arrival
Unloading is the only moment at which damage can be established. In order:
- Photograph before the seal is broken. Does the seal number match the bill of lading.
- Bundle count and strapping. Cut straps, shifted stacks.
- Moisture-barrier film. Torn film, signs of wetting from below.
- Dunnage battens. Is any bundle in direct contact with the floor.
- Your own moisture reading. Compare against the figure in the shipping documents.
- Random quality check. Thickness and surface on several bundles.
The next order
If the trial container went through cleanly, three things change:
- The unit gets bigger. A railcar is 102 m³ — about three containers, and the cost per m³ falls.
- Payment speeds up. Once the bank’s compliance file is open, the second transaction is markedly shorter.
- The format gets optimised. Per the container loading calculation, moving to a square format can cut freight per m³ by 13%.
The full account of the customs side of the process is in the import guide.