Close to 2,000 road transport operations were conducted via Iraq under the global TIR system over the past year.
TIR went live in Iraq in April 2025 – and operators were quick to take advantage of this new transit route in the Middle East.
Managed by IRU under a United Nations mandate, TIR provides unmatched transit security and efficiency. With goods sealed at the point of departure and only opened at their destination, TIR enables the shipment of goods from one country to another, transiting as many countries as needed along the way, via a secure, multimodal and mutually recognised system.
TIR’s electronic pre-declaration system, TIR-EPD, has also been implemented in Iraq to support the submission of advance cargo information and full compliance with national advance risk management requirements.
In its first year, operators benefited from over six new efficient and secure routes through Iraq, including from:
- Hungary to Jordan in just six days, rather than the five weeks required for traditional non-TIR routes
- Poland to the UAE entirely by road in just ten days, more than halving the traditional 24-day journey
- Türkiye to Jordan in just five days, as opposed to four to five weeks by sea
- Türkiye to Kuwait in just four days, instead of the 45-day maritime route
“The TIR system immediately opened doors to efficient and secure trade via Iraq,” said IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto. “Iraq’s ambitious Development Road Project needs such a harmonised border and customs system.”
“With the ongoing war in the region, we are also seeing the resilience provided by TIR. As maritime and air routes are disrupted, companies and countries rely on trade by road under TIR to get goods to communities and businesses. Iraq, with TIR, is fast becoming a vital land bridge between the GCC, Türkiye and Europe,” he added.
Iraq made the use of TIR for transit by road mandatory in November 2025 to further reinforce security and efficiency.
