Federal Council approves inclusion of eTIR in TIR Convention

Bern, 18.12.2020 - During its meeting on 18 December 2020, the Federal Council approved the inclusion of the electronic TIR procedure (eTIR) in the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets. Subject to approval by the other 75 contracting parties, the supplemented TIR Convention will enter into force on 25 May 2021.

The TIR Convention applies to the international transport of goods by road, without intermediate reloading, in road vehicles, combinations of vehicles or containers, across one or more frontiers between a customs office of departure of one contracting party and a customs office of destination of another or of the same contracting party. The TIR Carnet is used as the customs document accompanying the goods. Among other things, it contains a description of the goods, notes on the customs seals and customs authorities' official confirmation of all border crossings.

During its 72nd session in February 2020, the TIR Administrative Committee, the competent body representing all of the contracting parties to the TIR Convention, adopted the introduction of Annex 11 into the TIR Convention, thereby creating the necessary legal basis for the eTIR as a complement to the TIR Carnet in hard copy.

The Federal Council supports the aim of the proposed new Annex 11 to the TIR Convention: after more than 15 years of preparatory work, the TIR procedure is now being digitalised. Nevertheless, no eTIRs will be found in Switzerland for the time being. The Federal Customs Administration (FCA) is currently being brought consistently into the digital age with the DaziT transformation programme. As part of this, the issue of how the eTIR can be embedded in international transport to, through and from Switzerland is also being examined. A decision on this has not yet been made. Therefore, the Federal Council will not adopt Annex 11 for the time being and will enter an unlimited reservation with regard to the use of the eTIR.

The amendments and additions will enter into force on 25 May 2021.

Address for enquiries

Media Section
Federal Customs Administration FCA
Tel. 058 462 67 43, medien@ezv.admin.ch