TIR
How TIR works on the China–Iran corridor
A TIR carnet lets a sealed truck cross Central Asia without lodging a customs deposit at each border, and it cuts down how often the load is unsealed and transloaded on the way. It does not cut it to zero: a direct truck is transloaded once, at Bukhara, before it reaches the destination customs bonded warehouse.
- One carnet covers the transit from the China exit gateway to the destination customs
- Sealed by Chinese customs at the exit gateway; reopened under customs supervision where the load is transloaded, and at the destination bonded warehouse
- No per-border security deposit; fewer unsealings and fewer transloads — a direct truck transloads once, at Bukhara
- TIR changes neither the transit time nor the freight rate
- TIR is not an exemption from customs inspection
- We are a registered TIR international road-transport operator
What the carnet does
It removes the security deposit customs would otherwise require at each transit border, and it keeps the load sealed between handling points instead of at every crossing. It does not put the shipment beyond inspection: customs in any transit country may break the seal and check the load.
Where it is sealed and opened
Chinese customs apply the TIR seal and a tamper-evident electronic lock at the exit gateway, Wuqia or Khorgos. It is broken again wherever the load is transloaded — at Bukhara on a direct truck, at Osh and again at Bukhara on a transshipment truck — and finally at the Gomrok Gharb bonded warehouse, under Iranian customs, when the Ghabz-e Anbar is issued.
What TIR is not
It is not a speed setting — the carnet does not move the current 21–23 days from the Wuqia crossing to Tehran, or the 18–21 days to Mashhad, on a direct truck. It is not a freight rate. It is not door-to-door. It is not an exemption from inspection. The 10–12 days some listings advertise is not this line.
No published rates. To get a quote, send three things: the origin hub; the destination customs (Tehran West Customs / Aprin / Mashhad); and the cargo data — HS code, gross weight in kg, volume in CBM.
FAQ
Does TIR make the shipment faster?
No. TIR removes per-border deposits and keeps the load sealed between handling points, but transit time is set by distance, border throughput and how the line is running. Counted from the Wuqia crossing, a direct truck currently takes 21 to 23 days to Tehran and 18 to 21 days to Mashhad; a transshipment truck 26 to 30 and 24 to 28 days. The domestic leg from the consolidation hub to Wuqia is typically within 7 days and is counted separately. Transit time on the Khorgos line is quoted on request.
Who holds the TIR carnet?
The carrier. We are a registered TIR operator and the convoy carries the carnet; the shipper does not need to arrange one.
Is the truck opened during transit?
Fewer times than without a carnet, but not never. The seal is broken where the load is transloaded — once, at Bukhara, on a direct truck, and at Osh and again at Bukhara on a transshipment truck — and at the destination customs bonded warehouse. Customs in a transit country can still open a sealed load for inspection.
Does TIR cover customs clearance in Iran?
No. TIR is a transit instrument. Import clearance and duty at Tehran Customs are handled by the consignee's licensed broker.
Related: China to Iran TIR road freight · Transit through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan · China–Iran TIR documents: CMR, carnet, packing list · Iran's TIR carnet shortage and your China cargo