Published
05/22/2026, 17:41Lengthy cargo clearance procedures and poor integration of digital services between countries remain among the main obstacles to the development of transport corridors within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. This was discussed during the Forum of Think Tanks of SCO Member States.
Participants noted that due to paper-based document flow, differences in national systems and slow data exchange, transport costs in Central Asian countries can account for up to 50% of the final cost of goods.
To address this issue, SCO member states intend to accelerate the implementation of digital tools — ‘single window’ systems, ‘smart customs’, electronic consignment notes (e-CMR) and unified databases of certificates of origin.
According to experts, digitalisation should reduce border crossing times, ease the burden on logistics corridors and enhance the attractiveness of the region’s transit routes.
Furthermore, a plan for cooperation between the railway administrations of SCO member states has already been agreed for 2026, and a memorandum on the digitalisation of permits for international road transport has been signed. A roadmap for the development of port and logistics centres up to 2030 is also being drawn up.
Particular attention was paid to the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project, which will be able to transport up to 15 million tonnes of cargo per year and shorten the route by approximately 900 kilometres.
