Newsroom

At IRU and TransFollow’s eCMR webinar, industry experts discussed how digitalisation is improving operational efficiency, while uneven adoption, customer readiness and interoperability challenges remain as Europe prepares for eFTI.

IRU Secretary General Habib Turki met with senior leaders from Türkiye’s business community and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) to advance regional connectivity, facilitate international trade and remove barriers.

IRU’s President and Secretary General participated in the 48th BSEC-URTA General Assembly in Istanbul, marking 25 years of cooperation and calling for stronger regional connectivity, faster border crossings and practical solutions to today’s challenges.

At the New Silk Way Forum in Kazakhstan, IRU called for internationally harmonised digital tools to facilitate cross-border trade, warning that disconnected national systems risk creating new barriers rather than removing existing ones.

Efficient borders, modern regulation and stronger professional standards must advance together for Eurasian transport corridors to deliver their full economic potential, experts stressed at the IRU-UN-OHRLLS dialogue in Astana, Kazakhstan.

New IRU Secretary General Habib Turki and UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean have held their first bilateral meeting, setting out priorities to strengthen their longstanding partnership, accelerate digitalisation and expand the reach of international road transport conventions.

The digital ECMT permit system is proving how paperless processes can simplify international road transport. At the latest ITF Group on Road Transport meeting in Rome, IRU called for that momentum to extend to eCMR, eVisas and other cross-border tools, while warning that unresolved AETR issues risk undermining the multilateral permit system.

Two expert panels at IRU member CANACAR’s 2026 National Convention looked at how tougher cabotage, visa and language rule enforcement can lead to more efficient and competitive cross-border trade in North America. IRU Vice President Iro Doumani added a global perspective to the debate.

The World Bank’s new report on the Middle Corridor sets out the scale of investment needed to transform the route into a true economic corridor. But its message is equally clear: infrastructure must be matched by trade facilitation, digitalisation and road transport reform.

At the 39th session of the UNECE Working Party on Transport Trends and Economics, IRU highlighted how TIR trucks can turn international transport corridors from lines on a map into resilient operational trade routes.

Connectivity, innovation and partnerships were on the agenda this week for IRU Secretary General Habib Turki. His series of high-level events and bilateral meetings with Chinese authorities, transport companies and IRU members has set the course for the next decade of international road transport cooperation.

Speaking at the Global Sustainable Transport Forum 2026 in Beijing, IRU outlined how buses and trucks, trade facilitation measures, and technology-neutral decarbonisation help make transport universally accessible.

Harmonised processes and closer public-private cooperation can unlock even more trade between China and Central and Eastern Europe, IRU said to transport leaders in Beijing today.

How can road transport operators reduce trade costs, improve efficiency and strengthen their competitiveness? Join industry leaders in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 14 October to explore practical solutions for more efficient, professional and resilient road transport.

More than 30 delegates from 16 countries gathered in Türkiye for IRU’s Commission on Customs Affairs (CAD), putting emerging trade corridors, stronger regional connectivity and eTIR deployment at the centre of discussions.

At the 11th Economy and Logistics Summit in Türkiye, IRU President Radu Dinescu highlighted road transport’s growing strategic importance and Türkiye’s central role in emerging trade corridors.

The Rhine’s historically low water levels highlight the importance of resilient, flexible and multimodal transport networks.

IRU and TransFollow have joined forces to accelerate market acceptance and uptake of fully digital road freight and logistics with the eCMR standard.

Recent field visits to the Gürbulak–Bazargan border crossing between Türkiye and Iran and the Dilucu–Sederek border crossing between Türkiye and Azerbaijan brought together IRU, its members UND and ITCAI, customs authorities, and the road transport industry to review border procedures and identify practical steps to boost freight flows.

IRU and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) have reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation on road transport, digitalisation and trade facilitation across the ECO region.

Brent crude slipped below USD 90 a barrel after a pause in attacks this week, but European forecourt prices moved the other way.

For the first time, eTIR operations have been run across the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan and, with Uzbekistan, between three countries. These new services will bring additional transit efficiency, speed and security to the vital Middle Corridor.

Hendrick Logistics Ireland has successfully completed a temperature-controlled trucking operation from Ireland to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seamlessly crossing 13 countries in the process.

Following Albania and North Macedonia, Montenegro is the third Western Balkan country to join eCMR in 2026.

Egypt has taken a major step towards more efficient, secure and seamless international road transport and trade with today’s signing of the TIR guarantee agreement in Cairo.

New EU social data obligations are adding another layer of complexity for the road transport sector. We asked Emilie Marin, Digital Product Manager at IRU member Axxès, about the solutions available to simplify life a little bit for operators.

At the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, IRU called for hard infrastructure to be matched by trade facilitation tools to keep goods moving smoothly.

A major regulatory shift began on 1 July for Europe’s van sector: cross-border light commercial vehicles (LCVs) above 2.5 tonnes must now comply with EU rules on driving and rest times, mandatory smart tachographs and driver posting. This means equipping vehicles with tachographs and adapting to entirely new compliance requirements affecting drivers and day-to-day operations.

IRU member UND’s latest Middle East Working Group meeting focused on how the TIR system can support faster and more secure transport.

The 4,300-square-metre logistics hub expands CEVA’s capacity along China–Central Asia–Caucasus–Europe transport corridors, serving as a consolidation point for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments and TIR solutions.

How has IRU changed over the past 30 years? This was the question we put to IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto as he prepares to hand over to his successor.

IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto has been in the road transport industry for over 30 years. As he prepares to hand over the reins, we sat down with him to reflect on those three decades. The first part of the interview looks at the industry. The second is on IRU itself.

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement to strengthen the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) for the EU emissions trading system covering buildings, road transport and additional sectors (ETS2), ahead of its full launch in 2028. The agreement backs the European Commission’s proposal to reinforce the existing safeguards designed to limit excessive carbon price volatility.

Protect the North American trade deal, modernise borders and keep goods flowing. That was the message from IRU’s recent North American Transportation Forum webinar. The discussion focused on the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), also known as CUSMA in Canada and T-MEC in Mexico, as the three countries move through the agreement’s six-year review process.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is reinforcing its role as a key trade hub through its strong and continued support for the TIR system, led by the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA). This commitment is translating into tangible and growing benefits, with faster and more efficient cross-border procedures and an expanding range of operational scenarios.