Türkiye and Azerbaijan are preparing to launch their first electronic TIR (e-TIR) pilot application before the end of 2026, targeting the Dilucu-Sederek border crossing as part of broader efforts to digitize international freight transport and strengthen trade links between Europe and Central Asia.

The planned pilot would enable customs authorities to exchange transit information electronically, reducing reliance on paper documents and potentially speeding up cross-border cargo movements.

The initiative comes as e-TIR operations expand across the Caspian region, with Azerbaijan and several Central Asian countries already conducting paperless international transit shipments.

According to reporting by Interfax on September 8, Azerbaijan’s road transport sector has identified Türkiye as a key partner for the next phase of e-TIR operations following a successful pilot involving Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

Regional digital transit links expand

In July 2026, customs authorities in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan completed six paperless TIR transport operations using the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) e-TIR system.

Five of the six operations involved multimodal transport, including maritime routes across the Caspian Sea. One shipment travelled from Azerbaijan through Turkmenistan and into Uzbekistan under a single digital transit procedure covering more than 1,200 kilometres.

The operations demonstrated how electronic data exchange can facilitate freight movements across several national borders without requiring drivers to present traditional paper transit documents at each crossing.

UNECE said the system allows customs authorities to exchange declarations and guarantee information in real time, helping reduce administrative costs, limit errors and improve risk management.

Türkiye-Azerbaijan cooperation gains momentum

The planned e-TIR initiative follows broader cooperation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan on the digitalization of international road freight.

In March 2026, officials from the two countries held a technical meeting in Ankara on a separate electronic consignment note project known as e-CMR. The discussions focused on the technical and institutional arrangements needed to digitize freight transport documents under the relevant international convention.

While e-CMR digitizes consignment notes, e-TIR digitalizes customs transit procedures and the associated guarantee system. The two initiatives are complementary but serve different functions in international logistics.

The Dilucu-Sederek crossing, linking Türkiye’s eastern border with Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the connecting border area, is strategically positioned to support closer transport links between the two countries.

If implemented as planned, the pilot would further connect Türkiye to the emerging network of digital transit routes linking the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

Middle Corridor stands to benefit

The expansion of e-TIR is particularly relevant to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, commonly known as the Middle Corridor, which connects China and Central Asia with Europe through the South Caucasus and across the Caspian Sea.

UNECE and international transport organizations have increasingly highlighted digital customs procedures as a way to address delays and administrative bottlenecks along the corridor.

At a regional workshop held in Warsaw from September 7 to 9, 2026, participants identified e-TIR as a promising tool for improving the efficiency of transit operations along the Middle Corridor.

For Türkiye, closer integration with regional digital transit systems could help simplify freight movements, improve the predictability of border procedures and strengthen its role as a logistics link between Europe and Asia.

The effectiveness of the planned pilot will depend on technical integration between the countries’ customs systems, coordination among relevant authorities and the successful implementation of the electronic guarantee procedures required under the international TIR framework. (ILKHA)