Minimum Capacity and Capital Requirements for Licensed Warehouses Changed
· Bloomberg HT
According to the new circular by the Ministry of Trade, the minimum unit capacity for licensed warehouses has been raised to 35,000 tons, while minimum capital requirements have been tiered based on facility size.
Minimum Capacity Requirement for Warehouses
The Circular on Amendments to the Circular on Licensed Warehouses for Cereals, Legumes, and Oilseeds, prepared by the Ministry of Trade, has been published in the Official Gazette and entered into force. Within the scope of the new regulation, it has become mandatory for each warehouse, located at the central and branch facilities of licensed warehouse businesses, to have a minimum capacity of 35,000 tons. This step, aimed at modernizing the infrastructure of the agricultural storage sector, seeks to elevate the storage standards for agricultural products.
Tiered Capital Regulation
With the circular prepared based on Ministry of Trade data, the minimum paid-in capital amounts that licensed warehouse businesses must possess have been tiered according to their capacity sizes. According to the regulation, a minimum paid-in capital requirement of 20 million TL will be sought for facilities with a capacity of up to 35,000 tons. For warehouses with a capacity between 35,001 tons and 70,000 tons, 30 million TL will be required, and for those between 70,001 tons and 110,000 tons, 40 million TL will be needed. For businesses with a capacity exceeding 110,000 tons, 5 million TL will be added to the capital for every additional 30,000 tons of volume.
Compliance Period for Existing Businesses
Existing licensed warehouse businesses whose capital falls below the newly determined minimum amounts have been granted a period until December 31, 2028, to bring their financial status into compliance with the regulations. Businesses that received permits for establishment, branch opening, or capacity increase from the Ministry before the circular entered into force will be subject to the old provisions until this date. Furthermore, capacity increase requests from businesses that were previously licensed and operating will be evaluated and decided upon within the framework of the provisions of the circular dated March 11, 2026.