Driverless cargo trucks have been introduced at the Kazakh-Chinese border.

Kazakhstan’s finance ministry announced on July 23 that, along with China, the country has launched the “Smart Customs” pilot project to streamline cross-border trade transit. The initiative is being tested at the Bakhty (Kazakhstan) and Pokitu (China) border checkpoints.

The project, the first of its kind between the two countries, enables unmanned, autonomous trucks to transport goods across the border as part of a broader effort to modernise customs infrastructure and reduce processing times.

The initiative was formalised during a working meeting between Zhandos Duisembiev, chairman of Kazakhstan’s State Revenue Committee, and Zhixianwei, Party Secretary of the Chinese city of Tacheng in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The two sides signed a cooperation agreement to share expertise and support digital innovation in logistics.

Smart Customs integrates several high-tech components, including a unified electronic declaration system, fully digitised documentation, continuous unmanned cargo movement and automated navigation and operational control.

The initiative is expected to enable an annual cargo traffic volume of 10mn tonnes, reduce transport costs, improve border efficiency and attract investment. It also aims to support new logistics hubs, create employment opportunities, and boost exports of Kazakh agricultural goods such as grain, oilseeds, meat and processed products.

Kazakhstan has come under scrutiny for lengthy border inspections. According to a 2024 study by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), as reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan recorded the slowest customs inspection times in Central Asia, averaging two hours and 26 minutes per cargo unit. By comparison, Turkmenistan averaged 50 minutes, Uzbekistan one hour and 25 minutes, Kyrgyzstan one hour and 28 minutes and Tajikistan one hour and 50 minutes.

Russia and China have proposed a driverless freight link that would operate across the Blagoveshchensk–Heihe Bridge, although the project has yet to be implemented.