Heilongjiang to Moscow: new route opens under TIR

A truck carrying 16.6 metric tons of miscellaneous goods left the Suifenhe highway port in Heilongjiang province on Saturday for Moscow in Russia. The departure marked the official opening of the first route from Suifenhe to Moscow under an international customs transit system known as Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR).

Heilongjiang Dragon Transportation Group, a subsidiary of the State-owned Heilongjiang Transportation Investment Group, operates the route. It covers about 9,800 kilometers and has an estimated travel time of 14 days.

After staff from the group used the TIR electronic pre-declaration system to upload and submit relevant information, such as the miscellaneous goods to be exported, officers from the Suifenhe Customs verified the cargo documents and other information and then sealed and released the goods.

The entire process involved no unloading or reloading of goods, enabling smooth customs clearance and direct delivery to Europe.

"It marks a new passage and also a gateway for Heilongjiang to open up to the north, connecting Asia and Europe," said Liang Guotao, deputy general manager of Heilongjiang Dragon Transportation Group Express Company. "The TIR transport mode is an established international cross-border transportation organizational model that provides advantages such as customs guarantee and efficient customs clearance. During customs clearance, vehicles can proceed without inspection, directly passing through exit and entry ports to reach their destination, significantly reducing the logistics costs of the entire cross-border transportation."

TIR is the only global customs transit system for moving goods across international borders. It has United Nations authorization and is designed to help transport operators and customs authorities save time and money when shipping goods across borders.

So far, more than 80 countries and regions worldwide have joined the TIR Convention, covering countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. China joined the UN TIR Convention in 2016.

To support and assist enterprises in developing the TIR international transportation business, Suifenhe Customs researches their needs and provides targeted services.

"We have swiftly processed TIR customs clearance procedures, allowing TIR vehicles to be released as they arrive at the road port," said Yu Hao, an officer from the customs. "In the future, the Suifenhe Customs will continue to optimize port clearance processes, constantly improve clearance efficiency, and provide strong support for efficient and smooth cross-border logistics."