Why Bursa, Türkiye
Bursa is one of the centers of the Turkish automotive industry, with vehicle plants and a dense supplier base around them. Many suppliers here, TDM Otomotiv among them, have spent years delivering to European manufacturers and work to automotive quality practices.
TDM Otomotiv has made metal parts in Bursa since 2004. We supply vehicle and machinery manufacturers and export to 10 countries, mainly France, Germany, Brazil, Finland and Italy. Forming, welding, tube bending, painting and assembly all happen in one plant.
How quoting works
Send a 3D model (STEP preferred) and a 2D drawing with tolerances. Drawings in inches are fine; state the units on the drawing. Add the material specification, the annual volume and which operations you need (forming, welding, painting, assembly).
Our engineering team reviews manufacturability, material and process route, comes back with questions if anything is missing, and sends the quote in about 7 business days. Our RFQ checklist lists everything that helps.
Shipping times
Parts travel by ocean freight. The port of Gemlik is close to our plant in Bursa. Port-to-port transit from the Marmara ports to the US East Coast typically takes about 3–4 weeks, depending on carrier, route and transshipment.
For planning, add the time for production, loading and export customs at origin, and for US customs clearance and the inland leg to your plant. Ocean freight also needs packaging that protects parts from moisture and handling for several weeks; agree it with your supplier before the first shipment.
Delivery terms (Incoterms)
The Incoterms rule in the contract decides who pays for and carries the risk of each leg. The most common ones for ocean shipments:
- EXW / FCA: you take over at the supplier’s plant or at an agreed handover point and arrange all transport.
- FOB: the supplier delivers the goods on board the vessel at the port of loading; you arrange and pay for the ocean freight.
- CIF / CFR: the supplier pays the ocean freight to your port (CIF also covers insurance); risk passes when the goods are loaded.
- DAP / DDP: the supplier delivers to your named place; with DDP it also handles US import clearance and duties.
With TDM Otomotiv, the delivery term is agreed per project.
US import duties
Steel and aluminum parts imported into the US can be subject to additional duties under Section 232, on top of the normal tariff. Which rate applies depends on the part’s HTS classification, and the rules and rates have changed several times since 2025.
Before awarding the business, ask your customs broker to classify the part and confirm the current duty, and compare suppliers on landed cost rather than unit price. We provide the material, weight and specification data your broker needs.
Quality and documentation
Agree on the documentation you need before the first samples: PPAP level, first-article inspection, measurement reports, material certificates and any customer-specific requirements.
TDM Otomotiv is ISO 9001:2015 certified (IQR International, QMS-014904) and runs PPAP, 8D, SPC and MSA. Parts are measured against the CAD model with 3D blue laser scanners at 0.02 mm (0.0008 in) measurement accuracy and a portable CIMCORE measuring arm. We held IATF 16949 certification from 2018 to 2021.
Materials and units
European suppliers usually stock EN material grades, while US drawings call out ASTM, SAE or AA specifications. Many common grades have close equivalents, but not every pair is interchangeable. Our EN–ASTM/SAE equivalents guide lists the most common ones for sheet, tube and aluminum.
Time zones and communication
Türkiye is on UTC+3 all year. Our office hours, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. local time, overlap with the US East Coast morning until about 9:30 a.m. ET, or 10:30 a.m. during US daylight saving time. Our team works in English, Turkish and German.