Questions we get asked

What is your minimum order?

We quote by the container. For a first order, think of one 20ft container, which can be a mixed load of sizes and finishes as long as they come from the same mill run.

Below a container we can still help with samples and with small parcel shipments for a showroom display, but the freight cost per square meter stops making sense quickly.

How do samples work?

Samples of standard items are free; you cover the courier, on your own carrier account or at cost credited against the first order. Typically two or three pieces per selection, around 4 × 4 in or 6 × 6 in, under our own label. Cut-to-order samples are quoted.

We tell you the dispatch date when you ask, and we send current-lot photographs with every sample request.

How long from order to arrival?

Two clocks run in sequence: production at the mill, then ocean transit. Production depends on whether your selection is in stock or cut to order. Transit from a Turkish port to the US East Coast is materially shorter than to the West Coast.

We put both in the quote as dates rather than vague ranges, and we tell you which of the two is the risk on your order. Sailing schedules do move. Under FOB your forwarder owns the schedule; under CIF or DAP we do, and then a change reaches you from us before it reaches your tracking page.

What are the payment terms?

The usual structure in this trade is a deposit on order confirmation with the balance against shipping documents, or a letter of credit for larger volumes. We agree the exact terms per order and write them into the quotation.

The split depends on order size and on whether it is a first order, and it is written into the quotation.

Which ports do you ship from and to?

Loading is normally from İzmir or Mersin, and the quote says which. On the US side the natural stone trade runs mainly through Houston, Los Angeles / Long Beach, Miami, New York / New Jersey.

We quote to US Gulf, East and West Coast ports and to European ports alike; the United States is the market this business is built around, and the formats on the product page are chosen for it. Tell us your port and we will quote to it. If your yard is inland we can quote door delivery instead, but be aware that inland trucking on a full container of stone is a real cost and should be compared against your own trucking rates.

Who arranges freight and insurance?

Your choice. We quote FOB from a Turkish port, Incoterms 2020, by default, which leaves the booking with you. If you would rather we handled it, we quote CIF or DAP. Under CIF we insure to the Incoterms minimum, Institute Cargo Clauses C, unless you ask for all-risks cover, which we quote separately and recommend for stone. Under DAP the goods travel at our risk to your named place.

We are not a freight forwarder and we do not sell logistics as a separate service. Where risk passes to you is set by the Incoterm, and the quote says which one. Whatever we agree, we keep following the container after it sails.

Why will you not tell me who makes it?

Because that is the business. We spend our time finding mills, checking them and keeping the quality consistent, and the moment we hand that list over there is nothing left to pay us for.

What you are entitled to is everything about the goods: material, origin region, test data, an inspection before loading, and photographs of your own crates and container. What you do not get is the name on the gate. If that is a problem, buying direct is a legitimate choice and we will not argue with it.

What if the material does not match the sample?

Natural stone varies between blocks, and an honest supplier tells you that before the order rather than after the complaint. That is why we approve a range set of several pieces, light to dark, rather than a single tile, and why the quote names the grade.

What is not acceptable is a shipment outside that range, wrong calibration, or a finish that is not what you ordered. That is why someone from our side sees the goods at the mill before the container is sealed, and why we keep the approved range set.

What happens if it arrives damaged?

Photograph it before unloading, keep the crates and the packing list, and notify us in writing the same day. Where the damage happened determines who carries it, and where the value justifies it that is established by a joint or independent survey at your yard: a crate that failed in transit is a freight and insurance matter; a packing failure is ours, and we replace or credit the affected goods.

We would rather deal with a claim quickly than argue about it. A distributor who loses money on a first container does not order a second one, which makes the claim our problem too.

Can you pack under our brand?

Yes. Private label packing, your crate markings and your item codes on the packing list are all normal requests and we handle them as part of the order rather than as an extra.

Can you do a mixed container?

Yes, within limits. Mixing sizes and finishes from one mill is straightforward. Mixing materials that come from different mills means consolidation, which adds handling, cost and a place for damage to occur. We will tell you which of the two your order is.

What duty will I pay?

We will not guess at that. Rates on this heading have changed more than once recently and your classification is yours to confirm. Take the HS heading from the product page to your customs broker and get a written answer before you build your landed cost.

We will give your broker any product detail they ask for.

Do you work exclusively with one distributor per territory?

Not by default, and we will not promise exclusivity we cannot enforce on a first order. If a program grows to the point where exclusivity means something to both sides, it is a conversation worth having properly, in writing.

Can I visit the mill?

Once the program is real and a non-circumvention agreement is in place, yes, and we will arrange it and go with you.

Not on a first inquiry. Our supplier relationships are the business, and a sourcing partner who introduces you to their mill in week one will do exactly the same with your customers. You are welcome to visit us in Istanbul at any point. Pre-shipment inspection is available too: by an independent surveyor we appoint under a confidentiality agreement, or by your own inspector once the non-circumvention agreement that covers a mill visit is in place.

Why buy from Türkiye at all?

Türkiye is the third largest supplier of natural stone to the United States, behind Brazil and Italy, at $385 million in 2025. Travertine in particular is a Turkish strength rather than a Turkish substitute for something else.

The trade-off is distance and paperwork. That is precisely the part we take on.

Why use an export house instead of buying direct?

You can buy direct, and plenty of importers do. The case for a partner is that the Turkish supply base is fragmented: quarry owners, processors and trading companies describe themselves identically online, and sorting that out from another continent costs time and mistakes.

What stays valuable after the first container is the part you cannot see from your side of the ocean: the same inspection on every load, one contact when something moves, and a supplier relationship we maintain so you do not have to.