The Milli Majlis (National Assembly) of Azerbaijan has approved the first reading of a draft law proposing significant amendments to the Customs Code during its plenary session today.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the document provides for the expansion of the powers of the State Customs Committee (SCC). The amendments aim to align the code with the Constitutional Law "On Normative Legal Acts," as well as legislation governing licenses, entrepreneurship, food safety, and administrative proceedings.
Under the new regulations, customs authorities will be granted the right to petition courts to temporarily restrict the travel of individuals or heads of legal entities who fail to settle customs debts. This mechanism, which mirrors existing powers held by tax authorities, also allows customs officials to lift such restrictions once the debt is cleared. Furthermore, the bill replaces the term "customs broker" with "indirect customs representation," shifting from a licensing system to a registry-based model to foster a more competitive and transparent environment for foreign trade participants.
The reforms are part of Azerbaijan's broader strategy to enhance its role as a regional transit hub. By streamlining information exchange on transit goods with other states and accelerating mobile customs audits—requiring results to be provided within three business days—the government seeks to increase the competitiveness of international transport corridors passing through Azerbaijan. These measures are expected to improve transparency, reduce delivery times, and strengthen the national economy through modernized trade facilitation and risk-based customs control.
