The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance, in association with the Ministry of External Affairs organised an event in New Delhi yesterday for ambassadors and delegates from Contracting Parties to the Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention, 1975) to canvass support for India’s candidature for TIR Executive Board (TIRExB), elections for which are scheduled to be held during the 81st session of the TIR Administrative Committee on 11.10.2023, at Palais des Nations, Geneva.

India’s candidate for the upcoming TIRExB elections, Mr. Vimal Kumar Srivastava, Principal Commissioner & Head of International Customs Relations, CBIC, was introduced to foreign delegations present at the reception. It was conveyed that India seeks to integrate with the international transport networks under the aegis of the Convention and recognises that cross-border connectivity has a key role in regional integration, economic growth, and geopolitical stability. It was further stated that with the election of India’s expert in the TIR Executive Board, India intends to contribute significantly to the global integration of multi-modal transport system through implementation of the related procedures and methods, especially the full digitisation of TIR. It was also highlighted that India intends to expand the geographical coverage of the Convention and leverage it for redefining the transit arrangements in the South Asia region.

The event was graced with the presence of Revenue Secretary, Shri Sanjay Malhotra; Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, Shri Sanjay Verma; Special Secretary and Chairman CBIC, Shri Sanjay Kumar Agarwal; and Special Secretary and Member Customs, CBIC, Shri Surjit Bhujabal, amongst others.

The reception concluded successfully, with many dignitaries expressing their support to India’s candidature for the TIR Executive Board elections to be held on 11.10.2023 in Geneva. 

ABOUT TIR CONVENTION

TIR Convention, 1975 is an international harmonised system of Customs control, which enables seamless transport of goods crossing multiple international borders using a single customs document (TIR Carnet) and a unified system of guarantee. It has 78 Contracting Parties, including India. More than 33,000 operators are authorized to use the TIR system and around 1.5 million TIR transports are carried out per year. The TIR Executive Board (TIRExB) is a subsidiary body of the TIR Administrative Committee. It supervises and provides support in the application of the TIR procedure. It is composed of 9 members, each from different Contracting Parties.

India is a significant trading nation in the Asia Pacific region and a key participant in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Since its accession to the Convention in 2017, India has taken several measures to promote the use of TIR. A National Guaranteeing Association has been appointed and a Circular 48/2018-Cus has been issued detailing the procedure and authorising ports and other customs stations of the country. India has also conducted pilot runs, including one using digital TIR. Measures have been initiated to ensure effective usage of TIR through stakeholder consultations.

TIR Executive Board candidature seeks to advance TIR Convention integration, digitisation, and expanded cross-border transit cooperation. CBIC and the Ministry of External Affairs canvassed support for India's candidature to the TIR Executive Board, presenting India's nominee and stating India's intent to advance integration with international transport networks under the TIR Convention, pursue full digitisation of TIR, and expand the Convention's geographical coverage to reshape transit arrangements in South Asia. The note also records India's domestic measures since accession, including a National Guaranteeing Association, procedural guidance, and pilot digital TIR runs to promote effective usage.