On the afternoon of October 14, the new TIR international road transport route linking the SCO Demonstration Zone to Georgia was officially launched. Under the supervision of Jiaozhou Customs, affiliated to Qingdao Customs, the first two TIR trucks loaded with garments departed from the TIR Silk Road E-commerce Comprehensive Service Base of the SCO Demonstration Zone, heading for Georgia. This marks the 7th TIR international road transport route opened by the SCO Demonstration Zone, and the first cross-Caspian TIR route in Shandong Province.
Located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, Georgia serves as a vital transit hub for Chinese cargo bound for European markets and an important partner under the Belt and Road Initiative. The two trucks will exit China via the Khorgos Port, travel through Kazakhstan to the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, cross the Caspian Sea by ferry, pass through Azerbaijan and finally arrive in Georgia, with an estimated transit time of 18 days.
Dou Kun, Manager of Qingdao Runshengchi International Logistics Co., Ltd., explained the advantages of TIR transport: “TIR helps cut costs arising from inspections and container detention fees, and eliminates extra charges for port transshipment and consolidation, lowering cargo damage rates. Compared with traditional sea freight, the TIR model shortens the transport cycle drastically from 30–45 days to roughly 18 days.”
“We are leveraging policy dividends for cross-border road transport to keep the TIR corridor of the SCO Demonstration Zone efficient and unobstructed,” said Song Tao, Deputy Commissioner of Jiaozhou Customs. Catering to enterprise demands, the customs authority expands TIR business formats and provides one-stop customs supervision covering declaration, review, inspection and sealing. Full-process guidance is offered to businesses, lifting the high-level opening-up of the SCO Demonstration Zone to new heights.
Up to now, the SCO Demonstration Zone has opened seven TIR international transport routes covering e-commerce, bonded, cold-chain and other types of goods. In the first three quarters of this year, 277 TIR trucks were dispatched from the Zone, with a total cargo value of 240 million yuan.
Editor: Liu Lanxing/ Wang Yulin
