The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Albania was signed on 22 December 2006 in Tirana and entered into force on 1 May 2008. The Protocol on Rules of Origin of the Agreement was amended in 2009.
In addition to eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers in bilateral trade, the FTA also regulates numerous subjects such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, intellectual property, rules of origin, internal taxation, anti-dumping and countervailing measures, safeguards, and balance of payments measures.
Turkey eliminated customs duties on imports of industrial products originating in Albania upon the entry into force of this Agreement.
Albania also eliminated customs duties on imports for industrial goods originating in Turkey upon the entry into force of the Agreement. Only exception was for the goods in Annex II, for which Albania abolished the customs duties progressively by 1 January 2013.
Concerning agricultural products, the Parties exchanged mutual concessions for certain products in the form of tariff quotas or on unlimited basis subject to MFN duty reduction or exemption. Reciprocal concession lists for agricultural products are laid down in Protocol I of the Agreement.
The products which will benefit from the preferential tariffs should fulfill the rules of origin set out in Protocol II of the Agreement.