Finding Norwegian Business Partners from Türkiye

A trade framework that already exists

Unlike many countries outside Europe, Türkiye already has a free trade agreement with Norway. Norway is not in the EU, so the EU–Türkiye customs union does not apply to it. Instead, trade runs through the agreement between Türkiye and the EFTA states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The first EFTA–Türkiye agreement dates from 1992. A modernised agreement was signed in Iceland on 25 June 2018 and entered into force on 1 October 2021. Besides trade in goods it covers trade in services, and the EFTA states and Türkiye have since met in the agreement's Joint Committee to discuss services, intellectual property and public procurement. When the agreement was concluded, Norway's trade ministry said a good framework for trade in services was particularly important for Norway.

Two practical consequences:

• Tariff preferences need proof of origin. To benefit, your goods must meet the agreement's rules of origin, documented correctly. Check the rules for your products with Norwegian Customs (toll.no) or your customs adviser before you quote prices.
• Services are part of the deal. Engineering, IT, design and other services are within the agreement's scope, although you must still follow Norwegian rules when you work in Norway.

What is traded, and where the openings are

Detailed bilateral totals are best taken from Statistics Norway's trade tables, but some patterns are clear from public sources. In 2022, Norway's main exports to Türkiye were mineral fuels and machinery. On the other side, Norwegian imports from Türkiye include ships, boats and floating structures, which reflects the long relationship between Norwegian shipowners and Turkish shipyards.

Turkish companies most often look for one of these in Norway:

Maritime and offshore customers

Norway has a large maritime cluster: shipowners, ship designers, equipment makers and offshore service companies. Look in the register for shipping (water transport), ship and boat building, and engineering and technical consultancy. Award notices and the companies' own websites tell you who builds what and with whom.

Importers and wholesalers for consumer goods

For textiles, furniture, building products and food, the usual route into Norwegian retail goes through wholesalers and agents (industry group 46) or through the purchasing departments of retail chains. Look at what each wholesaler already carries and whether your products fill a gap in price, quality or delivery time.

Construction and industry

Turkish contractors and suppliers of building materials, steel and components can find Norwegian construction and industrial companies by industry and region. Public construction is bought through tenders, announced in Doffin and, above the EEA thresholds, on TED. Norwegian construction sites have strict rules: everyone working on a site must carry an HMS card, and foreign workers must have Norwegian pay and working conditions where general application of collective agreements applies. Read the rules before you bid.

A practical method

1. Decide whom you want to reach: customers, distributors, subcontracting partners or public buyers.
2. Build a list from Norway's open company register, Enhetsregisteret, by industry and county. Propler's free company search works on a nightly copy of the register and filters by industry group, region, legal form, employees and more. The AI search (free account) lets you describe your offer and suggests relevant Norwegian companies with reasons. Suggestions are decision support, not proof of a need.
3. Check every company: active status, legal form (AS is a private limited company), filed annual accounts, CEO and board, and its own website. See our Norwegian company data guide.
4. Look for activity: growth, hiring, tenders.
5. Contact a few well. Say why you contact this company, what you offer and what the next step is.

The general method, including Norway's consent rule for e-mail marketing to individuals, is in our guide to finding business partners in Norway from abroad.

Who can help

• The Norwegian-Turkish Chamber of Commerce (NORTURK), founded in Oslo in 2007 to support trade and investment between the two countries. Check its current activities and contact details on its own channels.
• The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ankara and Norway's consulates in Türkiye, whose commercial staff follow trade between the countries (norway.no).
• Türkiye's embassy in Oslo and Turkish export promotion bodies and exporters' associations for your sector.
• The EFTA Secretariat, which publishes the text of the agreement and information on its implementation (efta.int).

Building trust with Norwegian buyers

Norwegian buyers will look you up and compare you with suppliers they already know. Make the comparison easy:

• Be precise about delivery. Lead times, transport routes and who handles customs are often decisive.
• Show certifications and documentation relevant to your sector, such as CE marking where it applies, quality and environmental certifications, and the documentation needed for origin under the EFTA agreement.
• Expect supply chain questions. Larger Norwegian companies must, under the Transparency Act in force since 1 July 2022, carry out due diligence on human rights and working conditions in their supply chains. Be ready to explain your own working conditions and suppliers.
• Start with a limited first order or pilot to lower the risk for the buyer.

Where Propler fits

Propler is built to make it easier to see which Norwegian companies are relevant to what you offer, and why. It covers Norwegian companies only; it does not search Turkish companies. Read more about the idea on our About page and about the Norwegian market on the Norway market page.