Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have officially begun using the eTIR international digital transit system, marking a major step toward faster and paperless cargo transportation along the Middle Corridor.

The first eTIR operation linking the three countries has been successfully completed, The Caspian Post reports via Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee.

The inaugural shipment, carrying televisions and audio equipment from Azerbaijan, crossed the Caspian Sea to the Turkmenbashi Port before continuing to Uzbekistan under the unified eTIR procedure.

The operation became the first transport movement connecting Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan through the fully digital eTIR system.

In the opposite direction, four trucks transporting cotton, juices, bottled water and confectionery products from Turkmenistan completed customs procedures at Turkmenbashi Port before crossing the Caspian Sea by ferry and arriving at the Port of Baku.

The implementation of eTIR was made possible through cooperation between the customs authorities of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, together with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the International Road Transport Union (IRU) and its partner associations.

The eTIR system enables real-time electronic data exchange, significantly reducing paperwork, streamlining customs procedures, lowering logistics costs and minimizing operational risks.

The launch of the eTIR system will strengthen the competitiveness of the Middle Corridor by making cross-border freight transport faster, more efficient and more reliable.