Azerbaijan to digitalize customs transit system with four countries

Under the global customs transit system, the TIR Convention of the United Nations, 76 country signatories unanimously agreed to digitalize their operations (eTIR) on February 5, 2020, to facilitate trade and the seamless movement of goods across borders, Report informs, citing foreign media.

The TIR Convention claims that it provides a framework for 1 to 3.5 million truck trips every year to cross borders as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“The adoption of eTIR, which is the result of over 20 years of negotiations, marks a new chapter in the TIR Convention’s 70-year evolution. With more and more countries joining the convention in recent years, including major economies like China, India and several countries in the Middle East, this important step will help to harness trade and connectivity as drivers of sustainable development,” Olga Algayerova, executive secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) said.

TIR Contracting Parties have been implementing pilot projects in Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine since 2017. Other eTIR projects are currently under consideration, such as the eTIR intermodal project between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine or under development, such as the eTIR project between Azerbaijan and Iran.

The TIR system, used by over 34,000 transport and logistics companies in its 76 contracting parties, reduces cross-border transport time by up to 80%, and costs by up to 38%.