At a recent TIR roundtable in Geneva, IRU members from across Eurasia discussed how to strengthen corridor connectivity, address bottlenecks and accelerate digitalisation.

Eurasian road transport leaders met at the IRU Liaison Committee to Eurasia (CLEA) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, last week to discuss current operational issues and recent customs and transport developments in the region.

At BSEC-URTA’s 47th General Assembly, transport leaders and industry representatives highlighted the growing strategic importance of the Black Sea region as a key bridge connecting Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and the GCC region.

China is benefiting from a highly practical TIR use case: bonded cargo transport. By combining the tax and customs advantages of bonded zones with the speed, security and simplicity of TIR, Chinese cities are creating faster and more cost-effective overland routes to markets across Eurasia.

The first eTIR transport operations between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan mark a major milestone for the digitalisation of international road transport in Central Asia.

As the Middle Corridor gains strategic importance for Europe–Asia trade, attention is shifting from political coordination to practical implementation. At a high-level roundtable in Brussels, IRU highlighted the concrete measures needed to make the route faster, more predictable and ready for investment.

eTIR is gaining momentum in Central Asia, with cross-border operations planned for the coming months.