Turkmenistan advances trade facilitation and modernises customs procedures
From 30 September to 2 October, two interlinked events were held under the International Trade Centre (ITC) project “Turkmenistan: Enhancing Trade Resilience and Integration”, funded by the European Union. The expert meeting on 30 September, presenting the draft National Trade Facilitation Roadmap, was followed by a two-day training for officers of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan, both dedicated to strengthening cross-border procedures and modernising customs administration.
During the expert meeting, the draft Roadmap on Trade Facilitation was presented, outlining strategic objectives and concrete measures to align Turkmenistan’s legal and regulatory framework, as well as its operational practices in the area of external trade, with the provisions of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).
Representatives of Turkmen ministries and agencies provided feedback on the proposed document and emphasised the importance of its development and adoption as part of the country’s ongoing efforts related to its prospective accession to the WTO. Particular interest was drawn to the presentation of CART.IS, a digital tool designed to analyse data exchange among border regulatory agencies and enhance inter-agency coordination in trade facilitation.
Building on this, a two-day training session was held for the officers of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan. The programme covered key provisions of the WTO TFA, approaches to categorising and prioritising trade facilitation measures, as well as issues of digitalisation and inter-agency coordination. Participants engaged in practical exercises simulating real-life scenarios of foreign trade regulation, allowing them to focus on concrete steps to improve the efficiency of customs administration.
Both events underscored Turkmenistan’s commitment to developing its external trade system and further improving the business climate. The support of the European Union and the technical expertise provided by ITC enable the exchange of international best practices and the introduction of modern tools necessary for the country’s successful integration into the global trading system.
About the Project
The International Trade Centre (ITC) is implementing a four-year technical assistance project “Turkmenistan: Enhancing Trade Resilience and Integration”, funded by the European Union (EU). The project aims to contribute to Turkmenistan’s economic development and strengthen trade relations between the EU and Turkmenistan. This will be achieved by enhancing trade competitiveness through improvements in the business climate and by supporting Turkmenistan’s participation in regional and global trade.
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