Moldova, Republic of

The Republic of Moldova has fulfilled its commitment under Article 1.2 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement through the establishment and operation of the Trade Information Portal (M-TIP), available at www.trade.gov.md. Launched on 5 May 2020 with the support of USAID under the MISRA Program, the portal provides importers, exporters, and other trade operators with transparent and easily accessible information on foreign trade regulations, customs procedures, and commercial requirements, in line with the obligations under the TFA, the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, and the DCFTA.

 

The portal has demonstrated its role as a key transparency tool, contributing to predictability in trade procedures and reducing compliance costs for economic operators. Between 2023 and 2024, the platform was further developed and modernized in the context of the new Customs Code, with continued support from USAID/MISRA, including drafting, translation of content, and an information campaign on the new Customs Code provisions.

 

The core objective of Article 1.2 is considered implemented. However, following the termination notice received by USAID/MISRA in March 2025, the technical and financial support that underpinned the portal's maintenance and development is no longer available. As the platform continues to require regular updates and modernization to remain fully compliant with Article 1.2 obligations – which are of an ongoing character – the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova is in the process of identifying national or external financing resources to ensure the long-term operability and future modernization of the portal.

The Trade Information Portal of the Republic of Moldova (Trade Information Portal/M-TIP) is designed to implement the commitments of the Republic of Moldova provided in the Trade Facilitation Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO TFA), the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union (AA) and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). M-TIP integrates the Republic of Moldova's regulations on foreign trade, as well as useful information for importers and exporters, in an easily accessible manner. The aim is to provide transparency and predictability to regulations and commercial procedures, thus improving compliance and reducing the cost of external commercial activities.

The portal was implemented with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the USAID Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Activity (MISRA) and it was launched on 5 May 2020.

Currently, in the context of the new Customs Code entered into force on 1 January 2024, the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova with the support of the USAID Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Activity (MISRA) is in the process of updating the information on the Commercial Information Portal of the Republic of Moldova www.trade.gov.md

At the same time, with the support of the MISRA Program, in December 2023 the information campaign regarding the presentation of the provisions of the new Customs Code started.