G/TFA/N/ MDA/4 
 
2 February 2024  
(24-0863) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF ARRANGEMENTS AND PROGRESS IN THE PROVISION  
OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING  
SUPPORT OF CATEGORY C DESIGNATIONS  
COMMUNICATION FROM REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA  
The following communication, dated 2 February 2024  is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Moldova . 
 
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Moldova hereby notifies information on the arrangements concluded and progress made in the 
provision of technical assista nce and capacity building support of the following category C 
designations, in response to Article 16 of the Trade Facilitation Agreement.  
 
 
Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Definitive date for 
implementation  
 
Article 1.2  Information  available through internet  
 C 31 December 2025  
Donor s / Agencies : USAID  
 
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
 
The Trade Information Portal of the Republic of Moldova (Trade Information Portal/M -TIP) is designed to 
implement  the commitments of the Republic of Moldova provided in the Trade Facilitation Agreement of the 
World Trade Organization  (WTO TFA), the Associa tion Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the 
European Union (AA) and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade  Area (DCFTA). M -TIP integrates the Republic 
of Moldova 's regulations on foreign trade, as well as useful information for importers and expo rters, in an easily 
accessible manner. The aim is to provide transparency and predictability to regulations and commercial 
procedures, thus improving compliance and reducing the cost of external commercial activities.  
 
The portal was implemented with the s upport of the United States Agency for International Development 
(USAID) under the USAID Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Activity (MISRA) and it was launched 
on 5 May 2020.  
 
Currently, in the context of the new Customs Code entered into force  on 1 January 2024, the Customs Service 
of the Republic of Moldova with the support of the USAID Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Activity 
(MISRA) is in the process of updating  the information on the Commercial Information Portal of the Republic of 
Moldova  www.trade.gov.md . 
 
At the same time, with the support of the MISRA Program, in December 2023 the info rmation campaign 
regarding the presentation of the provisions of the new Customs Code started.  
 
 
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  Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Definitive date for 
implementation  
 
Article 5.1  Notifications for enhanced controls or 
inspections  
 C 31 December 2025  
Donors/Agencies: Have not been identified  
 
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
 
The Customs Service has not received technical assistance for the implementation of the Art. 5.1 related to 
the Notifications for enhanced controls or inspections .  
 
 
Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Definitive date for 
implementation  
 
Article 7.1  Pre-arrival processing  
 C 31 December 2025  
Donors /Agencies : European Union, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) , United 
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)  
 
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
 
The processing of pre -arrival of the customs declarations based on electronic data exchange has been 
implemented between customs and the designated national postal operator ( SOE "Posta Moldovei") for postal 
items worth up to EUR 1,000, which are to be exported from the territory of the Republic of Moldova. In this 
sense, with the support of UNCTAD and the EBRD, the CN23 module was developed in the Customs Integrated 
Information System (SIIV) ASYCUDA World, which al lows the online processing of data related to international 
postal items for export, received from the postal operator through the connection between SIIV ASYCUDA 
World and the postal operator's information system, Customs Declaration System (CDS).  
 
Regard ing the presentation of prior electronic data by the designated national postal operator, the Customs 
Service and the SOE  "Posta Moldovei"  signed on 22 March 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding regarding 
the promotion of the digitalization process of the national economy and the development of electronic commerce 
by aligning with international standards. The document establishes several areas of cooperation, such as 
simplifying customs procedures, increasing the security of correspondence, facilitating  rapid processing, and 
combating the illicit traffic of goods through international postal items, increasing the exchange of advance 
electronic data between Customs and the Post Office, but also the approval of CN22 postal forms and CN23 as 
customs declara tions.  
 
At the moment, the import data processing is in test mode, in order to launch the electronic exchange of data 
between the express operators and the Customs Service.  
 
On 1 January 2024, the Order of the Customs Service No. 559 -O/2023 entered into fo rce, which establishes 
the mechanism for declaring international postal items in digital format and the pre -arrival processing in the 
case of international postal items  transported by the designated national postal operator , as well as the express 
operators.  
 
According to the procedure described  in SIIV ASYCUDA World, with the support of UNCTAD, the "Manifest" and 
"H6" - customs declaration modules with a reduced set of data were additionally developed, which are currently 
under the  testing stage wi th postal operators.  
 
Until the operationalization of the information systems, the Customs Service established the provisional 
procedure for declaring international postal items, pre -arrival processing being possible for international postal 
items with non -taxable value , that are declared only based on  a manifest, presented in advance to the Customs 
Service.  
 
 
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  Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Definitive date for 
implementation  
 
Article 7.8  Expedited shipments  
 C 31 December 2025  
Donors/Agencies: European Union, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),  United 
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)  
 
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
 
On 1 January 2024 , the Order of the Customs Service No. 559 -O/2023 came into force, establishing the 
mechanism for declaring international postal items in digital format and pre -arrival processing in the case of 
international postal items transported by express operators.  
According to the described procedure, in SIIV ASYCUDA World, the modules "Manifest" and "H6"  – customs 
declaration with a reduced set of data were additionally developed, with the support of UNCTAD, which are 
currently under the testing stage with express op erators.  
 
 
Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Definitive date for 
implementation  
 
Article 7.9  Perishable goods  
 C 31 December 2025  
Donors /Agencies: Have not been identified  
 
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
 
The Customs Service has not received technical assistance for the implementation of the Art. 7.9 related to 
Perishable goods.  
 
 
Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Definitive date for 
implementation  
 
Article 10.4  Single window  
 C 31 December 2025  
Donors/Agencies: European Union  
 
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
 
Between November 2017 and November 2019, within the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova, the 
Twinning Project "Support in the modernization of the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova in accordance 
with the requirements of the Association Agreement" took place. One of the objectives of the project was the 
support of the Republic of Moldova i n the necessary preparation for the implementation of the Customs Single 
Window - conditionality provided for in the chapter on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) 
of the Association Agreement.  
 
Within the Twinning Project, with the support of experts, the following documents were developed:  
 
- The vision document regarding the implementation of the Customs Single Window.  
- The specifications with the functional and technical requirements for the implementation of the Customs Single 
Window concept within the SIIV ASYCUDA World . 
 
After the completion of the Project, the Customs Service requested technical assistance from the international 
partners to develop a Concept regarding the implementation of the Customs Single Window and the eva luation 
of the costs for the implementation.  
 
The Customs Single Window is still on the list of priorities of the Customs Service and efforts are being made 
to identify external financial resources for the development of the above -mentioned Concept.  
 
 
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  Provision  Heading/Description  Category  Definitive date for 
implementation  
 
Article 11  Transit  
 C 31 December 2025  
Donors/Agencies: European Union  
 
Progress in the provision of technical assistance and capacity building support:  
 
Following  the completion of the Twinning Project (2017 –2019) the Customs Service requested the assistance 
of the EU in the implementation of the NCTS.  
 
In July 2023, the Contribution Agreement between the Delegation of the European Union and the United Nations 
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was signed. The purpose of the Agreement is to finance the 
development and implementation of the NCTS in the Republic of Moldova, which will ensure the connection with 
the national electronic system at the Common Co mmunications Network of the European Commission.  On 
26 September 2023, the Project was launched, with UNCTAD being the developer.  According to the work plan, 
the pilot test of the national transit system will be launched on 1 April 2024, for national movem ents with an 
economic operator , and later, on 1 July 2024, the system will be mandatory for all economic operators . The 
Customs Service plans to carry out the first joint transit operations on 1 April 2025.  
 
 
 
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