ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 6. A working meeting was held at the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan to brainstorm strategies for cutting down the time it takes to clear customs for goods being transported by rail across the nation's border, Trend reports via the service.
The meeting was attended by representatives of authorized agencies operating at border checkpoints, including customs, border, veterinary, and quarantine services, as well as specialists from the Ministry of Railways of Turkmenistan.
Participants emphasized the importance of improving the quality of customs procedures, streamlining document flow between services, and expanding the use of digital systems to optimize processing time, especially amid growing rail cargo volumes.
Turkmenistan has been actively advancing the digitalization of its customs procedures, including the full implementation of the ASYCUDA World system across all customs offices since 2020, which now covers 99% of imports, exports, and most transit goods, alongside the integration of a single trade window connecting 22 government agencies to streamline document flow and reduce border delays.
These efforts support the country's growing role as a transit hub in Central Asia, where rail-related container traffic surged to 21,320 shipments in 2025—an increase of over 90% from the previous year—amid rising volumes along key corridors such as North-South and Trans-Caspian routes.
ASYCUDA World (Automated System for Customs Data) is an extensive, web-based customs management system created by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to automate, optimize, and modernize international trade processes. It facilitates the electronic processing of manifests and declarations, permitting brokers to submit paperwork online, hence decreasing cargo clearance duration and expenses.
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