Transit Freight

Transit means moving goods through a country without importing them: no customs duty or import VAT arises, and a guarantee is provided instead. On long routings transit time is decided not by distance but by what happens in the intermediate countries — import and re-export at every border, and the declarations, guarantees and waiting days stack up.

When transit is the right regime

Goods bound for a third country. Cargo moving from Europe to Central Asia, or through Türkiye to the Gulf, is not imported into the countries it crosses.
Triangular trade. Where goods are bought in one country and sold to a third, the intermediate country is only a point of passage.
Warehouse movements. Goods travel from port to bonded warehouse, and from warehouse to border, under transit.
When the buyer is not yet known. The goods move or sit while a buyer is found, and the import decision is deferred.

Which document, where

Document	Scope	Note
T1	Transit of goods not in free circulation	Continues as a single operation across common transit countries
T2 / T2F	Transit preserving the status of goods in free circulation	Used in specific cases
TIR Carnet	Road transit between parties to the TIR Convention	Common on routings outside the common transit area
National transit	Between two customs offices within one country	Port to bonded warehouse movements

The critical point: a transit operation ends when the goods are presented at the office of destination and the declaration is discharged — not when the goods are delivered. An undischarged transit means the guarantee is not released and charges can be assessed later.

Common transit: what changed in 2025

The Common Transit Convention allows movement between contracting parties under a single transit declaration. Georgia acceded on 1 February 2025, which means an operation opened in Europe can run through to Georgia as one declaration, cutting the paperwork and guarantees at intermediate stages.

The effect is felt most on cargo bound for Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. One caveat: what became simpler is the European section of the journey. The Caspian crossing is unaffected.

What we do

Transit declarations and guarantee management.
Monitoring of open transit positions through to discharge.
Full loads and groupage by road and sea.
Combined structures with bonded warehousing: goods wait without being imported, then clear or re-export.
Documentary structure for triangular trade.

Frequently asked questions

Is duty payable under a transit regime?

No. As the goods are not imported, no customs duty or import VAT arises. A guarantee valid for the duration of the regime is provided instead.

What is a T1?

It is the declaration used for the transit of goods not in free circulation. Between parties to the common transit system it can continue as a single operation, so no separate declaration or guarantee is needed in each intermediate country.

When does a transit operation end?

When the goods are presented at the office of destination and the declaration is properly discharged. Delivery alone is not enough: an undischarged operation leaves the guarantee blocked and can lead to charges being assessed later.

Is Georgia part of the common transit system?

Yes, since 1 February 2025 it has been a party to the Common Transit Convention. An operation opened in Europe can therefore run through to Georgia under a single declaration.

What is the difference between a TIR Carnet and a T1?

T1 is the electronic declaration used within the common transit system. The TIR Carnet is the international transit document used between parties to the TIR Convention. Which applies depends on the routing.

Can transit and bonded warehousing be combined?

Yes, and they often are. Goods move into the warehouse under transit, wait there without being imported, and either clear for free circulation or are re-exported once a buyer is found.

Is transit necessary in triangular trade?

Where the goods physically enter the intermediate country, yes — otherwise unnecessary charges arise. Getting the origin and movement documents right matters just as much.

What do you need for a quotation?

Pickup location, final destination country, the routing, tariff code, number of packages, dimensions and weight. Most importantly: in which country the goods will be imported. The whole documentary structure follows from that.

Tell us where the goods will be imported. On that basis we set up transit or import, manage the guarantee and track the open position until it is discharged.