Countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion are working to make the movement of goods and services across borders faster, easier, cheaper, more compliant, and more inclusive.
Over the past decade, the Greater Mekong Subregion’s (GMS) road network has expanded by almost 200,000 kilometers, and overland road freight has almost doubled. Yet despite these advances, remaining barriers to trade and transport continue to inhibit the subregion’s full economic potential and the cost of cross-border land transport remains high.
With much of the hard infrastructure in place, there has been a greater focus in recent years on the rules, regulations, agreements, and other “software” to make the movement of goods and services across borders in the GMS faster, easier, cheaper, more compliant, and more inclusive.
The GMS Transport and Trade Facilitation Action Program is working to overcome existing barriers in order to link the subregion to the ASEAN Economic Community’s single market and production base, as well as other regional cooperation initiatives.
The program is helping to expand transport and traffic rights along the GMS Cross Border Transport Facilitation Agreement (CBTA). route network; simplify and modernize customs procedures and border management; and strengthen the capacity of sanitary and phytosanitary agencies in the subregion.
To facilitate progressive implementation of the CBTA, the GMS Transport Ministers as members of the CBTA Joint Committee have agreed to an “Early Harvest” memorandum of understanding to allow the issuance and mutual recognition of GMS Road Transport Permits along the CBTA Protocol 1 route network and the border crossing points along these routes starting August 2018.
Related
• ‘Early Harvest’ Implementation of the Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement
• Statement of the Sixth Meeting of the Joint Committee for the CBTA (15 March 2018)
• Statement of the Fifth Meeting of the Joint Committee for the CBTA (16 December 2016)
• Statement of the Fourth Meeting of the Joint Committee for the CBTA and 3-Year Blueprint on Transport and Trade Facilitation, 2013-2016 (22 November 2013)
• Statement of the Third Meeting of the Joint Committee for the CBTA (17 June 2010)
• Statement of the Second Meeting of the Joint Committee for the CBTA (20 March 2007)
• First Meeting of the Joint Committee for the CBTA (30 April 2004)
Foreign ministers from Japan and five Mekong nations this month identified areas of cooperation under a new strategy and reviewed the progress of joint projects in the East-West Economic Corridor and Southern Economic Corridor.
The six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the “Early Harvest” Implementation of the Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement in 2017 and 2018.
Download the MOU, CBTA Early Harvest brochures, and related documents.
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic lies at the heart of the Greater Mekong Subregion and its economic corridors . However, the country has yet to maximize benefits from the subregion’s investments in infrastructure and services.
Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao reaffirmed ADB's support to the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy in a video message shown at the 8th ACMECS Summit on 16 June in Bangkok.
Five Mekong River Basin countries have agreed on a 5-year master plan that includes promoting the smooth flow of goods and people in the East-West Economic Corridor and Southern Economic Corridor of the Greater Mekong Subregion.
International Finance Corporation is providing $15 million in long-term financing to the International Bulk Terminal (Thilawa) Company Limited to develop and operate one of the first bulk terminals in Myanmar.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (13 April 2018) — The Asian Development Bank’s Trade Finance Program and Orient Commercial Bank today signed a $10 million loan agreement to further support trade in Viet Nam.
This is the statement issued by the Joint Committee for the Cross-Border Transport Facilitation Agreement during its sixth meeting in Hanoi, Viet Nam on 15 March 2018.
This introduces the green freight approach, which helps improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions of the transport sector.
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has made progress in transforming itself from a landlocked to a “land-linked” economy. However, high logistics costs affect its continued growth, particularly its trade competitiveness.
