Another Mongolia Border Checkpoint Expanded, Free Economic Zone Established

With the pending Eurasian Economic Union – Mongolia Free Trade Agreement shortly to come into effect, another vehicle checkpoint is being upgraded on the Russia-Mongolia border, this one being at Tashanta, on the border of the Altai Republic with Tsagaannuur in Mongolia.

The border crossing is part of the AH4 international highway, and will be able to receive up to 1,000 vehicles per day. However, it is expected to begin its immediate modernisation from next year. However, special equipment will be installed at the checkpoint, by this autumn, allowing the reduction of customs inspection of trucks to 10 minutes. In addition, the inspection pits and the inspection ramp will be repaired this year, and a modern sanitary and quarantine control post will be set up.

Numerous modular units will be placed in the Tashanta checkpoint, including rooms for entry and exit control, in-depth inspection of cargo transport, and separate buildings for Rospotrebnadzor services, including equipment for sanitary and quarantine control.

This will triple the capacity of the border crossing. Similar reconstruction work is already being carried out on the Mongolian side (at the adjacent Tsagan-Nur checkpoint). Both border crossings will complete their renovations next year.

The Tashanta/Tsagan-Nur checkpoint is part of the AH4 international highway is used as a transit corridor for cargo exchange between Russia and China. To develop this logistics route, the Tsagaannuur Free Economic Zone has also been created on the Mongolian side. This zone, in Mongolia’s Bayan-Ulgii province covers 708.4 hectares, with 115 hectares already taken up by import-export and related businesses.

The Eurasian Economic Union and Mongolia are also in discussions about extending the high-speed Agro-Express rail service to Mongolia, which carries perishable fruits and vegetables and will provide competition to Mongolian consumers from what at present are almost exclusively Chinese imports.