Pakistan, China complete first operation on newly established TIR route within 10 days between China, Pakistan, Afghanistan

Islamabad: Pakistan and China have successfully completed the inaugural operation on a newly established Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) route by delivering cargo from China to Pakistan and Afghanistan within 10 days.

One of the members of the International Road Transport Union (IRU), CEVA Logistics, and a Pakistan’s National Logistics Cell (NLC), completed the inaugural operation.

This route now connects Kashgar, China, to Pakistan through seamless door-to-door road transport, marking a significant milestone. Furthermore, NLC extended this route to reach Kabul, Afghanistan.

This operation utilized the TIR global transit system, involving the departure of three NLC trucks from the inland city of Kashgar, China, on August 24th. Impressively, just one day later, they entered Pakistan through the Khunjerab (China) and Sust (Pakistan) border crossing, known as the world’s highest border crossing point.

While one of the trucks delivered its cargo in Pakistan, the other two continued their journey, crossing the Torkham border into Afghanistan on September 1st.

Two days later, they reached the Afghan capital, Kabul. Remarkably, this door-to-door road transport from Kashgar to Kabul, a first of its kind endeavor, was accomplished in just 10 days.

Yan Zhou, the Chief Representative of East and Southeast Asia at IRU, emphasized the significance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), highlighting its role in connecting China not only to Pakistan but also to the Middle East and Europe. This development is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and is expected to benefit countries in the region, including Afghanistan.

The activation of TIR along the CPEC is set to diversify transport routes between China and Pakistan, ultimately enhancing regional trade resilience and security.

Kelvin Tang, the Global Cross Border and Multimodal Product Leader at CEVA Logistics, celebrated this successful pilot as a milestone in exploring new TIR corridors, heralding a new era in Chinese-Pakistani road transport. He expressed CEVA’s commitment to developing efficient international logistics solutions.

Brigadier Nasir Zia, the Chief Operating Officer of NLC, described this achievement as a pivotal advancement facilitated by IRU under the TIR Convention.

“It not only activates the CPEC corridor but also transforms transit trade along the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan corridor. The results of this transportation route indicate a remarkable reduction in travel times of approximately 70% compared to maritime routes, with anticipated cost reductions of at least 50%,” he commented.

It’s worth noting that NLC, in collaboration with IRU and the Economic Cooperation Organization, also opened the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) corridor in 2021. This corridor significantly reduces transport times, on average, by 80% compared to traditional maritime routes.

In June 2023, NLC also pioneered the use of the TIR system to deliver products from Pakistan to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan via Afghanistan, achieving record delivery times that were 70-80% faster than alternative transport options.

The TIR system facilitates the shipping of goods from the origin country to the destination country in sealed load compartments controlled by customs.

TIR simplifies border procedures, reducing administrative burdens for customs authorities, as well as transport and logistics companies, resulting in significant time and cost savings at borders.