By Rasana Gasimova

Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee plans to further expand the application of the “green corridor” system in a bid to improve the infrastructure of customs checkpoints and accelerate trade operations in 2020, the committee’s chairman Safar Mehdiyev said in an article published in the local media.

“We plan to improve the infrastructure to accelerate trade operations. To this end, it is planned to further expand the application of the “green corridor” system, both for import and export operations,” the article reads.

He emphasized that in 2019, as many as 599 foreign trade participants applied to connect to the system, and 530 of them received the right to constantly use the “green corridor” system.

Mehdiyev noted that the customs authorities will continue repair and construction work on the borders with Russia, Georgia and Iran in 2020.

“Last year, we began the construction of new customs checkpoints in both northern and southern directions. This work will be continued in 2020,” he added.

Note that in February 2019, the State Customs Committee introduced a short import declaration system, which significantly reduces the time for inspection and facilitates the import process. The committee also began using the electronic export management system.

According to the amendments to Azerbaijan’s Customs Code of, introduced in line with President Ilham Aliyev’s decree, dated November 30, 2016, in order to simplify the customs registration of goods and vehicles passing through customs border crossing points, green, blue, yellow and red systems can be used on the basis of a short import declaration.

The granting of the right to use the “green corridor” pass system is aimed at creating more favorable conditions for participants of foreign trade operations who comply with the requirements of the law in export-import operations.

It also contributes to the acceleration of goods turnover across the customs border, the implementation of more flexible and transparent customs control, the facilitation of international trade, having established relations between officials and businessmen in import-export operations on the basis of modern management principles.

“Green corridor” constitutes immediate release of goods without examination based on the customs control and the risk assessment conducted in accordance with the short import declaration which is submitted in electronic form in advance.