Trade Ministry Switches to NCTS Phase 5 in Customs Systems

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Trade Ministry Switches to NCTS Phase 5 in Customs Systems

Foreks - The Ministry of Trade has transitioned to the EU-Integrated NCTS Phase 5 application used in national and common transit operations in customs systems. According to the statement made by the Ministry, the transition to the NCTS Phase 5 application will take place on November 17, 2024, in customs.

The statement provided the following information: "As the Republic of Turkey, we are a Party to the Common Transit Agreement dated 20.05.1987, which includes other Contracting Parties such as the European Union, Member States of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the United Kingdom, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine. The New Computerized Transit System (NCTS) is utilized within the framework of the provisions of the said Agreement. Under the provisions of the said Agreement, it is mandatory for countries to transition to the current version of the NCTS system within a certain timetable, and the final transition date for all contracting countries is set as 01.12.2024. In this context, we have transitioned to the NCTS Phase 5 application in our customs on November 17, 2024.

As of November 17, 2024, the NCTS PHASE 5, used in national and common transit operations, has been implemented in our country's customs. The updated version of the NCTS system, NCTS Phase 5, allows for goods to be transported under a common transit regime with a single declaration and a single guarantee, primarily benefiting the European geography, which has the largest share in our country's exports. NCTS Phase 5 replaces the current NCTS Phase 4 system and introduces various improvements, and it has been implemented in our country's customs as of November 17, 2024. Following our country, France and North Macedonia will transition to the NCTS Phase 5 version in the coming weeks.

In this context, prior to the transition to the NCTS Phase 5 version in our country, necessary training and awareness activities have been organized for all stakeholders through written and visual materials, and all parties, including relevant countries, have been informed about the matter prior to the transition.

Compared to the previous version of the NCTS, the Phase 5 version has fundamental structural changes that are largely different in electronic message content and system structure. This has necessitated a disruption in the customs systems under the Ministry of Trade and created a need for adaptation among all parties using the said system. During this transition process, the use of alternative declaration methods related to the transit regime has been facilitated to ensure that operations can continue.

Currently, the Ministry of Trade's customs systems are actively functioning nationwide, and the matters communicated to our Ministry during this process are being addressed meticulously; broad technical and administrative support is being provided to all stakeholders by the teams of the Ministry of Trade.

Respectfully submitted to the public’s information.