A TIR logistics hub, the first in China certified by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), was established on Sunday.
Located in the Kashgar Area of the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the hub is expected to raise customs clearance efficiency for goods from Kashgar to countries in Central Asia and Europe by at least 30 percent, and in the meantime, to lower transportation costs by about 15 percent, according to the local customs authority.
TIR stands for Transports Internationaux Routiers or International Road Transports. It is an international customs transit system to help save time and money for transport operators and customs authorities when moving goods across borders.
China joined the TIR Convention in July 2016 to simplify and streamline administrative formalities of international road transport.