CHAPTER 5
Improving Transit Regimes and International Cooperation
This chapter reviews the main implementation issues of regional transit systems experienced in the developing world. For the majority of developing countries that do not take part in TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers), many obstacles remain to implementing regional transit regimes or their own national regimes. However, a new focus of reform and technical assistance aimed at the transit regime may help. This chapter will cover (1) common implementation issues; (2) the reason attempts to implement regional systems have largely failed, even when they mimic the successful European systems; (3) the benefits and limitations of information technology; and (4) recommendations for revamping transit regimes.
Implementing Transit Regimes in Developing Regions Even when a trade corridor crosses several countries, the basic transit procedure is implemented at the country level. In most cases—especially in Chapters 4 and 5 are based on the authors’ original research with contributions from Pilar Kent and Gerard Luyet. An abridged version (Arvis 2011) was included in the Border Management Handbook as chapter 17, “Transit Regimes.” The content here is an overhaul of the corresponding chapter in the Customs Modernization Handbook (De Wulf and Sokol 2005). 79