Newsroom

Border delays, permit digitalisation, and visa hurdles dominated discussions at BSEC-URTA’s General Assembly last week, as regional leaders tackled urgent threats to road transport and trade in the Black Sea region.

With China TIR operations surging 90% over the past year, IRU members from China and across Eurasia convened in Geneva to explore new routes, expand logistics hubs, and unlock untapped transit potential.

IRU’s General Assembly and councils brought together members from around the world for two days of discussions on opportunities to boost competitiveness, mitigate cargo crime, advance decarbonisation, overcome driver shortages and navigate economic shifts.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, has published its 2024 annual report, highlighting key achievements in advancing safe, efficient and sustainable road transport during a challenging year.

Trucks connect every corner of this vast country, ensuring that no region is left behind. It’s a story of logistics, yes – but also of national integration and economic lifeblood. What’s next for this critical sector? We asked its representative body, IRU member NTC&Logística.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, welcomes Rui'an Transportation Group as a new member, marking a strategic step in the company’s ambition to expand its international road freight business with the TIR system.

The Chinese logistics firm looks to expand its TIR operations and raise the efficiency of intermodal transport.

Tariff volatility is putting increasing pressure on cross-border trucking operations. Following IRU’s North American Transportation Forum Dialogue with industry leaders last month in Washington, DC, the Mexican government invited Senior Adviser Martin Rojas to further explore the impact of tariff policies on the region’s supply chains.

The first TIR journey from China to Turkmenistan following the signing of a new road transport agreement has showcased the power of streamlined cross-border trade.

Central Asia’s freight transport faces key challenges, but a coordinated regional approach could unlock sustainable connectivity and resilience. Experts recently gathered at an International Transport Forum (ITF) event to assess strategies.

IRU outlined its road transport sector reform methodology, tools and results to transport professionals from across Africa this week in Benin.

Iraq is set to reap the benefits of the global TIR transit system when it goes live next week in the country, marking a new era in international logistics and trade.

CEOs and senior figures from 30 trucking companies in Canada, Mexico and the US were in Washington D.C. to exchange on cross-border challenges at IRU’s first North American Transportation Forum Leadership Dialogue.

Jitie Lancheng has joined IRU to expand its TIR operations and strengthen partnerships with leading transport and logistics companies worldwide.

Optimising road transport could unlock major benefits for Brazil’s transport and logistics industry, reducing costs and improving trade flows.

IRU highlighted the proven benefits that the UN-backed system would bring to Paraguay’s public and private sectors – streamlining trade and strengthening customs security – at a recent TIR conference.

Since the first TIR hub was launched in China in May 2024, several more have rapidly followed, bringing the total to six.

At a major international event in Brazil, attended by over 1,000 public and private sector representatives, IRU outlined how the global TIR transit system would unlock significant efficiency and security benefits for the Bioceanic Corridor.

IRU welcomes the European Transport Board (ETB), a significant industry network in Europe, as its newest member.

The world road transport organisation, IRU, intervened on key policy debates of the highest UNECE Inland Transport Committee meetings and side events.

IRU’s Secretary General held a series of high-level talks with transport ministers in Geneva this week on the urgent need to improve international transport and border processes.

China’s TIR transport market experienced remarkable growth in 2024, marking a turning point in its development. With record-breaking numbers, the rise of new operations, and the establishment of logistics hubs, 2025 promises even greater expansion and innovation.

An IRU delegation was in Iraq last week to lay the groundwork for the country’s first cross-border movement under the global TIR transit system.

The North American trucking associations of Canada, Mexico and the US, all members of IRU, have reacted to the US government’s announcement on new tariffs.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, welcomes HPF as a new member committed to advancing cross-border trade and strengthening international connectivity.

Pakistan’s National Logistics Corporation (NLC) has demonstrated that transporting goods from Kashgar, China, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, does not have to take 30 days.

The latest Organization of Turkic States (OTS) customs meeting focused on initiatives to enhance cooperation, digitalisation and the development of the Middle Corridor. The meeting concluded with the signing of an eTIR implementation roadmap, setting a 2025 operational deadline for all OTS countries.

The first Trans-Caspian corridor shipment of lithium-ion batteries from China to Türkiye under the TIR system has demonstrated the potential for faster trade by significantly reducing transport times.

IRU, the world road transport organisation, welcomes Jinhai Holdings as a new member focused on expanding efficient and sustainable logistics solutions such as the TIR system.

TIR truck drivers now enjoy a smoother journey: dedicated TIR windows are operational at two key Kyrgyz border crossings.

Mongolia continues its journey to becoming a land-linked country with the recent introduction of TIR-EPD, TIR’s advance cargo information system, and green lanes. Kyrgyzstan has also taken similar steps to facilitate transit.

A fourth TIR logistics hub has opened in China, consolidating all essential transit services under one roof and enhancing TIR operations for the country’s expanding market.

Transport operators can now easily obtain their TIR carnets at the point of departure in Zhengzhou, rather than from Beijing.

The benefits of improving soft infrastructure parallel those of developing physical infrastructure. This was IRU’s key message at the Eurasian Development Bank’s conference on sustainable development in Kazakhstan.

IRU has joined a coalition of EU trade stakeholders urging a more efficient and harmonised Union Customs Code which would enhance trade facilitation and address existing inefficiencies in customs procedures across the EU.