TIR became operational in Iraq on 1 April 2025. The government has now made it mandatory for all goods transiting its territory by road to reinforce security and efficiency.
The Iraqi General Commission for Customs now requires all land-based transit to use TIR, further boosting the security and efficiency of cross-border operations for transport and logistics companies.
TIR’s electronic pre-declaration system (TIR-EPD) has also been integrated, enabling the submission of advance cargo information and full compliance with national requirements on advance risk management.
Managed by IRU under a UN mandate, TIR lets you ship goods from one country to another, transiting as many as needed along the way, via a secure, multilateral, multimodal, and mutually recognised system. The goods are sealed at the point of origin and only reopened at their destination – regardless of how many national borders are crossed. In essence, TIR allows trucks to cross borders efficiently and securely without having to queue for hours and days on end.
TIR is globally recognised for its high security standards and has been rapidly expanding across the Middle East. It has 78 contracting parties, including the European Union.
Alongside robust security, the system’s success stems from its efficiency and speed. TIR has been proven to reduce border transit times by up to 92% and lower transport costs by up to 50%.
Unlocking potential
With TIR going live, transport operators have been opening new secure trade routes, demonstrating significant time savings.
Polish transport operator the Milton Group completed a roundtrip journey linking Poland to the GCC region entirely by road via Iraq in just ten days. Maritime-based multimodal routes take 24 days.
Hasbayrak International Transport, a leading Turkish logistics operator, carried the first shipment from Türkiye to Kuwait via Iraq in just four days, a significant improvement over the 45-day maritime route.
Turkish logistics operator Kizgin and its Jordanian partner Al Wafi transported the first shipment from Istanbul to Amman via Iraq in just five days, as opposed to four to five weeks by sea.
Turkish TIR operator DMN Lojistik successfully delivered – in under five days – a shipment split among eight trucks to the Jordanian capital of Amman, having departed from Gaziantep, Türkiye, and transiting through Iraq.
In a landmark move for regional trade, Syria launched its first TIR operations transiting through Iraq to reach GCC markets. The inaugural TIR shipments, transporting live animals, securely crossed Iraq, before reaching their final destinations in Kuwait and Qatar.
As the only global transit system, TIR continues to create new opportunities, paving new trade routes – with Iraq now playing a central role in connecting regional and global markets.
