Kazakhstan and Turkey to streamline customs procedures

Kazakhstan and Turkey are streamlining customs procedures. Both countries will exchange electronic information on goods and vehicles transported between them. Today, members of the Senate, the Upper House of the Kazakh Parliament, ratified the corresponding agreement between the governments of the two countries. Thus, the time required for customs processes will be significantly reduced due to the exemption from inspections at checkpoints. According to Senate members, the document’s ratification will create favorable conditions for businesses and carriers while enhancing bilateral economic cooperation. 

“Additionally, the authorized bodies of both parties will individually establish technical requirements for the exchange of information to ensure the security of the shared data. Furthermore, the decree defines a list of competent officials responsible for information exchange and authorized to communicate directly with customs authorities to fulfill the document’s provisions. Moreover, a technical specification for data provision will be developed and the pilot project’s implementation will begin. Upon the completion of this process, the customs authorities of the two countries will commence exchanging information on a regular basis,” said Bekbolat Orynbekov, Member of the Senate, the Upper House of the Kazakh Parliament. 

It is worth noting that Turkey is currently one of the three main trade and economic partners of Kazakhstan, excluding the EAEU member states. In 2022, the trade turnover between the two countries totaled more than $6 billion, while in the first half of 2023, the figure amounted to nearly $3 billion.