The Ministry of Transport (MoT) of Tajikistan has announced that the issue regarding permits for crossing the border with China for freight trucks has been resolved.  However, some transport companies report that they are still delivering goods from China to Tajikistan through other countries.

An official source at a MoT says the permit for crossing the Tajik-Chinese border for freight trucks is now "available to the competent authorities of Tajikistan," and companies involved in transporting goods from China can continue their activities without any obstacles.

"On November 26, the permit was handed over to the competent authorities of Tajikistan, and now there are no issues with trucks crossing the border," the source added.

An employee of one of the companies transporting goods from China, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the problem with truck delays at the border, which had arisen several weeks ago, has been resolved, and trucks can now cross the border.

However, the employee did not provide details regarding the receipt of the permit or its handover to drivers.

Meanwhile, some companies involved in the transportation of goods from China, after facing issues with obtaining permits, have altered their routes and are continuing to deliver goods through other countries, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

It is worth recalling that most companies handling deliveries from China announced two weeks ago that, as of November 12, they were temporarily halting the transport of orders from marketplaces and other cargo from China.  They cited border crossing difficulties as the reason for this decision.

The Head of the Department of Ground Transportation of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport, Saifullo Qodirzoda, told Asia-Plus at that time that that the suspension is due to the expiration of a permit agreement between the relevant authorities of both countries. He added that two months ago, the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan sent a request to its Chinese counterparts for permit renewal and is awaiting a response.  "They promised, but unfortunately, we haven’t received the permit yet," he said.

The permit for international freight transportation (known as a "dozvol") is a single-use authorization for a vehicle from one country to carry heavy, oversized, or hazardous cargo across another country's territory.  Each issued document is assigned a unique number, which is closed upon customs inspection, and cannot be reused. Permits are issued for loading/unloading goods and for transit.

This permit is provided by the State Transport Control and Regulation Service of the Ministry of Transport upon payment through logistics intermediaries.  Truck drivers have frequently complained about obtaining permits from intermediaries at high prices. 

In September 2021, the situation escalated to a truck drivers' protest at the Ministry of Transport's building.  They claimed that each permit used to cost US$60 but rose to US$400, although the Ministry stated the actual price was 84 somonis (US$7.50).

Earlier this year, many trucks were stranded at the Fotehobod checkpoint in Sughd’s Mastchoh district, connecting Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.  The situation was attributed to the cost and complexity of obtaining permits. Tajikistan's Minister of Transport, Azim Ibrohim, reported that the previous year's licenses expired on January 31, 2024, but some logistics companies were selling new licenses to drivers at high prices.