Greater Mekong Subregion

GMS Cross-Border Transport Agreement

Signing of Stage 2 Annexes and Protocols 16 December 2004

The GMS Cross-Border Transport Agreement (GMS Agreement) is a multilateral instrument for the facilitation of cross-border transport of goods and people.

Formulated under the auspices of an ADB technical assistance, the GMS Agreement provides a practical approach, in the short to medium term, to streamline regulations and reduce nonphysical barriers in the GMS. It incorporates the principles of bilateral or multilateral action, and flexibility in recognition of differences in procedures in each of the GMS countries.

The GMS Agreement includes references to existing international conventions that have demonstrated their usefulness in a broad range of countries. It also takes into account, and is consistent with, similar initiatives being undertaken by ASEAN.

The GMS Agreement is a compact and comprehensive multilateral instrument, which covers in 1 document all the relevant aspects of cross-border transport facilitation. These include

• single-stop/single-window customs inspection
• cross-border movement of persons (i.e., visas for persons engaged in transport operations)
• transit traffic regimes, including exemptions from physical customs inspection, bond deposit, escort, and phytosanitary and veterinary inspection
• requirements that road vehicles will have to meet to be eligible for cross-border traffic
• exchange of commercial traffic rights
• infrastructure, including road and bridge design standards, road signs and signals

The GMS Agreement will apply to selected and mutually agreed upon routes and points of entry and exit in the signatory countries (view map).

Read more details about the agreement. [PDF]