1.   Goods carried under the TIR procedure in sealed road vehicles, combinations of vehicles or containers shall not as a general rule be subjected to examination at Customs offices en route.

2.   However, to prevent abuses, Customs authorities may in exceptional cases, and particularly when irregularity is suspected, carry out an examination of the goods at such offices.

1.   Each Contracting Party may authorise associations to issue TIR Carnets, either directly or through corresponding associations, and to act as guarantors, as long as the minimum conditions and requirements, as laid down in Annex 9, Part I, are complied with. The authorisation shall be revoked if the minimum conditions and requirements contained in Annex 9, Part I are no longer fulfilled.

2.   An association shall not be approved in any country unless its guarantee also covers the liabilities incurred in that country in connection with operations under cover of TIR Carnets issued by foreign associations affiliated to the same international organisation as that to which it is itself affiliated.

2 bis.   An international organisation, as referred to in paragraph 2, shall be authorised by the Administrative Committee to take on responsibility for the effective organisation and functioning of an international guarantee system provided that it accepts this responsibility.

3.   An association shall issue TIR Carnets only to persons whose access to the TIR procedure has not been refused by the competent authorities of Contracting Parties in which the person is resident or established.

4.   Authorisation for access to the TIR procedure shall be granted only to persons who fulfil the minimum conditions and requirements laid down in Annex 9, Part II to this Convention. Without prejudice to Article 38, the authorisation shall be revoked if the fulfilment of these criteria is no longer ensured.

5.   Authorisation for access to the TIR procedure shall be granted according to the procedure laid down in Annex 9, Part II to this Convention.

1.   The guaranteeing association shall undertake to pay the import or export duties and taxes, together with any default interest, due under the Customs laws and regulations of the country in which an irregularity has been noted in connection with a TIR operation. It shall be liable, jointly and severally with the persons from whom the sums mentioned above are due, for payment of such sums.

2.   In cases where the laws and regulations of a Contracting Party do not provide for payment of import or export duties and taxes as provided for in paragraph 1 above, the guaranteeing association shall undertake to pay, under the same conditions, a sum equal to the amount of the import or export duties and taxes and any default interest.

3.   Each Contracting Party shall determine the maximum sum per TIR Carnet, which may be claimed from the guaranteeing association on the basis of the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 above.

4.   The liability of the guaranteeing association to the authorities of the country where the Customs office of departure is situated shall commence at the time when the TIR Carnet is accepted by the Customs office. In the succeeding countries through which goods are transported under the TIR procedure, this liability shall commence at the time when the goods enter these countries or, where the TIR transport has been suspended under Article 26, paragraphs 1 and 2, at the time when the TIR Carnet is accepted by the Customs office where the TIR transport is resumed.

5.   The liability of the guaranteeing association shall cover not only the goods which are enumerated in the TIR Carnet but also any goods which, though not enumerated therein, may be contained in the sealed section of the road vehicle or in the sealed container. It shall not extend to any other goods.

6.   For the purpose of determining the duties and taxes mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, the particulars of the goods as entered in the TIR Carnet shall, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, be assumed to be correct.

7.   When payment of sums mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article becomes due, the competent authorities shall so far as possible require payment from the person or persons directly liable before making a claim against the guaranteeing association.

1.   The guaranteeing association shall fix the period of validity of the TIR Carnet by specifying a final date of validity after which the Carnet may not be presented for acceptance at the Customs office of departure.

2.   Provided that it has been accepted by the Customs office of departure on or before the final date of validity, as provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article, the Carnet shall remain valid until the termination of the TIR operation at the Customs office of destination.

1.   Discharge of a TIR operation has to take place without delay.

2.   When the Customs authorities of a country have discharged a TIR operation they can no longer claim from the guaranteeing association payment of the sums mentioned in Article 8, paragraphs 1 and 2, unless the certificate of termination of the TIR operation was obtained in an improper or fraudulent manner or no termination has taken place.

1.   Where a TIR operation has not been discharged, the competent authorities shall not have the right to claim payment of the sums mentioned in Article 8, paragraphs 1 and 2, from the guaranteeing association unless, within a period of one year from the date of acceptance of the TIR Carnet by those authorities, they have notified the association in writing of the non-discharge. The same provision shall apply where the certificate of termination of the TIR operation was obtained in an improper or fraudulent manner, save that the period shall be two years.

2.   The claim for payment of the sums referred to in Article 8, paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be made to the guaranteeing association at the earliest three months after the date on which the association was informed that the operation had not been discharged or that the certificate of termination of the TIR operation had been obtained in an improper or fraudulent manner and at the latest not more than two years after that date. However, in cases which, during the above-mentioned period of two years, become the subject of legal proceedings, any claim for payment shall be made within one year of the date on which the decision of the court becomes enforceable.

3.   The guaranteeing association shall have a period of three months, from the date when a claim for payment is made upon it, in which to pay the amounts claimed. The sums paid shall be reimbursed to the association if, within the two years following the date on which the claim for payment was made, it has been established to the satisfaction of the Customs authorities that no irregularity was committed in connection with the transport operation in question.

1.   To fall within the provisions of sections (a) and (b) of this Chapter, containers must be constructed in conformity with the conditions laid down in Part I of Annex 7 and must have been approved according to the procedure laid down in Part II of that Annex.

2.   Containers approved for the transport of goods under Customs seal in accordance with the Customs Convention on Containers, 1956, the agreements arising there from concluded under the auspices of the United Nations, the Customs Convention on Containers, 1972 or any international instruments that may supersede or modify the latter Convention, shall be considered as complying with the provisions of paragraph 1 above and must be accepted for transport under the TIR procedure without further approval.

1.   Each Contracting Party reserves the right to refuse to recognise the validity of the approval of road vehicles or containers which do not meet the conditions set forth in Articles 12 and 13 above. Nevertheless, Contracting Parties shall avoid delaying traffic when the defects found are of minor importance and do not involve any risk of smuggling.

2.   Before it is used again for the transport of goods under Customs seal, any road vehicle or container which no longer meets the conditions which justified its approval, shall be either restored to its original state, or presented for re-approval.

1.   No special Customs documents shall be required in respect of the temporary importation of a road vehicle, combination of vehicles or container carrying goods under cover of the TIR procedure. No guarantee shall be required for the road vehicle or combination of vehicles or container.

2.   The provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article shall not prevent a Contracting Party from requiring the fulfilment at the Customs office of destination of the formalities laid down by its national regulations to ensure that, once the TIR operation has been completed, the road vehicle, the combination of vehicles or the container will be re-exported.

1.   A single TIR Carnet shall be made out in respect of each road vehicle or container. However, a single TIR Carnet may be made out in respect of a combination of vehicles or for several containers loaded on to a single road vehicle or on to a combination of vehicles. In that case the TIR manifest of the goods covered by the TIR Carnet shall list separately the contents of each vehicle in the combination of vehicles or of each container.

2.   The TIR Carnet shall be valid for one journey only. It shall contain at least the number of detachable vouchers which are necessary for the TIR transport in question.

1.   As a general rule and except when they examine the goods in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 2, the Customs authorities of the Customs offices en route of each of the Contracting Parties shall accept the Customs seals of other Contracting Parties, provided that they are intact. The said Customs authorities may, however, if control requirements make it necessary, add their own seals.

2.   The Customs seals thus accepted by a Contracting Party shall have in the territory of that Contracting Party the benefit of the same legal protection as is accorded to the national seals.

1.   When transport under cover of a TIR Carnet takes place in part in the territory of a State which is not a Contracting Party to this Convention, the TIR transport shall be suspended during that part of the journey. In that case, the Customs authorities of the Contracting Party on whose territory the journey continues shall accept the TIR Carnet for the resumption of the TIR transport, provided that the Customs seals and/or identifying marks have remained intact. Where the Customs seals have not remained intact, the customs authorities may accept the TIR Carnet for resumption of the TIR transport under the provisions of Article 25.

2.   The same shall apply where for a part of the journey the TIR Carnet is not used by the holder of the Carnet in the territory of a Contracting Party because of the existence of simpler Customs transit procedures or when the use of a Customs transit regime is not necessary.

3.   In such cases the Customs offices where the TIR transport is suspended or resumed shall be deemed to be Customs offices of exit en route and Customs offices of entry en route respectively.

1.   Termination of a TIR operation shall be certified by the Customs authorities without delay. Termination of a TIR operation may be certified without or with reservation: where termination is certified with reservation this shall be on account of facts connected with the TIR operation itself. These facts shall be clearly indicated in the TIR Carnet.

2.   In cases where the goods are placed under another Customs procedure or another system of Customs control, all irregularities that may be committed under that other Customs procedure or system of Customs control shall not be attributed to the TIR Carnet holder as such or any person acting on his behalf.

1.   The provisions of this section apply only to the transport of heavy or bulky goods as defined in Article 1, subparagraph (p), of this Convention.

2.   Where the provisions of this section apply, heavy or bulky goods may, if the authorities at the Customs office of departure so decide, be carried by means of non-sealed vehicles or containers.

3.   The provisions of this section shall apply only if, in the opinion of the authorities at the Customs office of departure, the heavy or bulky goods carried and any accessories carried with them can be easily identified by reference to the description given, or can be provided with Customs seals and/or identifying marks so as to prevent any substitution, or removal of the goods, without it being obvious.

1.   Each of the Contracting Parties shall have the right to exclude temporarily or permanently from the operation of this Convention any person guilty of a serious offence against the Customs laws or regulations applicable to the international transport of goods.

2.   This exclusion shall be notified within one week to the competent authorities of the Contracting Party on whose territory the person concerned is established or resident, to the association(s) in the country or Customs territory where the offence has been committed and to the TIR Executive Board.

1.   No charge shall be made for Customs attendance in connection with the Customs operations mentioned in this Convention, save where it is provided on days or at times or places other than those normally appointed for such operations.

2.   Contracting Parties shall arrange to the fullest extent possible for Customs operations concerning perishable goods at Customs offices to be facilitated.

1.   The provisions of this Convention shall preclude neither the application of restrictions and controls imposed under national regulations on grounds of public morality, public security, hygiene or public health, or for veterinary or phytopathological reasons, nor the levy of dues chargeable by virtue of such regulations.

2.   The provisions of this Convention shall not preclude the application of other provisions either national or international governing transport.

1.   All States Members of the United Nations or members of any of the specialised agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency or Parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice, and any other State invited by the General Assembly of the United Nations, may become Contracting Parties to this Convention:

2.   This Convention shall be open from 1 January 1976 until 1 December 1976 inclusive for signature at the Office of the United Nations at Geneva by the States referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article. Thereafter it shall be open for their accession.

3.   Customs or economic unions may, together with all their member States or at any time after all their member States have become Contracting Parties to this Convention, also become Contracting Parties to this Convention in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article. However, these unions shall not have the right to vote.

4.   The instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

1.   This Convention shall enter into force six months after the date on which five States referred to in Article 52, paragraph 1, have signed it without reservation of ratification, acceptance or approval or have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

2.   After five States referred to in Article 52, paragraph 1, have signed it without reservation of ratification, acceptance or approval, or have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, this Convention shall enter into force for further Contracting Parties six months after the date of the deposit of their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

3.   Any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession deposited after the entry into force of an amendment to this Convention shall be deemed to apply to this Convention as amended.

4.   Any such instrument deposited after an amendment has been accepted but before it has entered into force shall be deemed to apply to this Convention as amended on the date when the amendment enters into force.

1.   Any Contracting Party may denounce this Convention by so notifying the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

2.   Denunciation shall take effect fifteen months after the date of receipt by the Secretary-General of the notification of denunciation.

3.   The validity of TIR Carnets accepted by the Customs office of departure before the date when the denunciation takes effect shall not be affected thereby and the guarantee of the guaranteeing association shall hold good in accordance with the provisions of this Convention.

1.   Upon its entry into force, this Convention shall terminate and replace, in relations between the Contracting Parties to this Convention, the TIR Convention, 1959.

2.   Certificates of approval issued in respect of road vehicles and containers under the conditions of the TIR Convention, 1959, shall be accepted during the period of their validity or any extension thereof for the transport of goods under Customs seal by Contracting Parties to this Convention, provided that such vehicles and containers continue to fulfil the conditions under which they were originally approved.

1.   Any dispute between two or more Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention shall, so far as possible be settled by negotiation between them or other means of settlement.

2.   Any dispute between two or more Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention which cannot be settled by the means indicated in paragraph 1 of this Article shall, at the request of one of them, be referred to an arbitration tribunal composed as follows: each Party to the dispute shall appoint an arbitrator and these arbitrators shall appoint another arbitrator, who shall be chairman. If, three months after receipt of a request, one of the Parties has failed to appoint an arbitrator or if the arbitrators have failed to elect the chairman, any of the Parties may request the Secretary-General of the United Nations to appoint an arbitrator or the chairman of the arbitration tribunal.

3.   The decision of the arbitration tribunal established under the provisions of paragraph 2 shall be binding on the Parties to the dispute.

4.   The arbitration tribunal shall determine its own rules of procedure.

5.   Decisions of the arbitration tribunal shall be taken by majority vote.

6.   Any controversy which may arise between the Parties to the dispute as regards the interpretation and execution of the award may be submitted by any of the Parties for judgment to the arbitration tribunal which made the award.

1.   Any State may, at the time of signing, ratifying or acceding to this Convention, declare that it does not consider itself bound by Article 57, paragraphs 2 to 6, of this Convention. Other Contracting Parties shall not be bound by these paragraphs in respect of any Contracting Party which has entered such a reservation.

2.   Any Contracting Party having entered a reservation as provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article may at any time withdraw such reservation by notifying the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

3.   Apart from the reservations provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article, no reservation to this Convention shall be permitted.

1.   This Convention, including its Annexes, may be amended upon the proposal of a Contracting Party by the procedure specified in this Article.

2.   Any proposed amendment to this Convention shall be considered by the Administrative Committee composed of all the Contracting Parties in accordance with the rules of procedure set out in Annex 8. Any such amendment considered or prepared during the meeting of the Administrative Committee and adopted by it by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting shall be communicated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the Contracting Parties for their acceptance.

3.   Except as provided for under Article 60, any proposed amendment communicated in accordance with the preceding paragraph shall come into force with respect to all Contracting Parties three months after the expiry of a period of twelve months following the date of communication of the proposed amendment during which period no objection to the proposed amendment has been communicated to the Secretary-General of the United Nations by a State which is a Contracting Party.

4.   If an objection to the proposed amendment has been communicated in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article, the amendment shall be deemed not to have been accepted and shall have no effect whatsoever.

1.   Any proposed amendment to Annexes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 considered in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 59 shall come into force on a date to be determined by the Administrative Committee at the time of its adoption, unless by a prior date determined by the Administrative Committee at the same time, one-fifth or five of the States which are Contracting Parties, whichever number is less, notify the Secretary-General of the United Nations of their objection to the amendment. Determination by the Administrative Committee of the dates referred to in this paragraph shall be by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.

2.   On entry into force, any amendment adopted in accordance with the procedures set out in paragraph 1 above shall for all Contracting Parties replace and supersede any previous provisions to which the amendment refers.

1.   Any State which is a Contracting Party may, by notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, request that a conference be convened for the purpose of reviewing this Convention.

2.   A review conference to which all Contracting Parties and all States referred to in Article 52, paragraph 1, shall be invited, shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations if, within a period of six months following the date of notification by the Secretary-General, not less than one-fourth of the States which are Contracting Parties notify him of their concurrence with the request.

3.   A review conference to which all Contracting Parties and all States referred to in Article 52, paragraph 1, shall be invited shall also be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations upon notification of a request by the Administrative Committee. The Administrative Committee shall make a request if agreed to by a majority of those present and voting in the Committee.

4.   If a conference is convened in pursuance of paragraphs 1 or 3 of this Article, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall so advise all the Contracting Parties and invite them to submit, within a period of three months, the proposals which they wish the conference to consider. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall circulate to all Contracting Parties the provisional agenda for the conference, together with the texts of such proposals, at least three months before the date on which the conference is to meet.