For the first time, eTIR operations have been run across the Caspian Sea between three countries: Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. These new services will bring additional transit efficiency, speed and security to the vital Middle Corridor.
An important bottleneck on the Middle Corridor between China and Europe is set to ease with the start of fully digital TIR operations across the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan and on to Uzbekistan.
Heading east, a pilot transport from Azerbaijan carrying television and music equipment successfully crossed the Caspian Sea by ship to Turkmenistan through Turkmenbashi Port before transiting across the country and entering Uzbekistan via the Farap border crossing.
Covering more than 1,200 km, this transport demonstrated the practical application of eTIR on an international multimodal corridor linking the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The operation also marked the first eTIR transport connecting three countries – Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – under a single procedure.
At the same time, heading west, four transports departing from Turkmenistan with cotton, juice, water and confectionary products successfully completed exit customs formalities at Turkmenbashi Port before crossing the Caspian Sea by ferry to the Port of Alat in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The customs authorities of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – together with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), IRU and IRU members ABADA, THADA and AIRCUZ – worked in close cooperation to test and launch the new services based on the eTIR digital solution.
The operations were run using the eTIR National Application, offering customs administrations a quick and efficient way to implement eTIR procedures, enabling countries to benefit from eTIR while progressively developing full integration with their national customs systems.
The expansion of eTIR operations across the Caspian Sea represents another important step in the digitalisation of international transit procedures, supporting more efficient and secure customs processing and strengthening connectivity along one of Eurasia's most important transport corridors.
