GATEWAYS
Wuqia or Khorgos: the 0.4% is only on the Wuqia line
Two corridors are live out of Xinjiang. The Wuqia line — its Chinese border post is Irkeshtam — crosses into Kyrgyzstan, and Kyrgyzstan levies a 0.4% transit tax on the cargo-invoice value. The Khorgos line crosses into Kazakhstan and never carries that tax. What separates them commercially is the 0.4% on one side and a published transit time on the other.
- Wuqia, border post Irkeshtam (into Kyrgyzstan, then Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan) — the 0.4% applies
- Khorgos (into Kazakhstan, then Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan) — the 0.4% never applies
- The 0.4% is a tax on the cargo-invoice value, excluded from the quotation and paid by the customer — it is not freight
- Wuqia line, counted from the Wuqia crossing and currently: direct truck 21–23 days to Tehran, 18–21 days to Mashhad; transshipment truck 26–30 and 24–28 days
- Khorgos line: transit time on request — no day count is published for it
- Turgart and Alashankou are not operated
The two lines
Wuqia routes Xinjiang — Kyrgyzstan — Uzbekistan — Turkmenistan — Iran. Khorgos routes Xinjiang — Kazakhstan — Uzbekistan — Turkmenistan — Iran. Both enter Iran at Sarakhs and both deliver to Mashhad Customs or the Tehran customs terminals. The line and the exit gateway are confirmed per booking and named in the quotation.
Transit times: published on Wuqia, on request on Khorgos
Day counts exist for the Wuqia line and are counted from the Wuqia crossing, not from the origin hub. Currently a direct truck runs 21–23 days to Tehran and 18–21 days to Mashhad; a transshipment truck 26–30 and 24–28 days. A direct truck transloads once, at Bukhara; a transshipment truck transloads at Osh and again at Bukhara, and sometimes once more at the Iranian border. Fewer transloads means a shorter and more predictable transit. The domestic leg from the consolidation hub to Wuqia is typically within 7 days — an estimate, confirmed per booking — and is counted separately. These are current operating ranges that move with border conditions, not a guaranteed transit.
For the Khorgos line we do not publish a day count. Transit time there is quoted on request, per booking.
The 0.4% is not freight
It is 0.4% of the cargo-invoice value, a transit tax collected on the Kyrgyz leg, so it exists only on the Wuqia line. It is excluded from the quotation and paid by the customer, and the freight rate does not change because of it.
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
Is the 0.4% a freight charge?
No. It is a tax equal to 0.4% of the cargo-invoice value, levied by Kyrgyzstan, so it applies only on the Wuqia line. It is excluded from the quotation, billed as a separate line and paid by the customer.
Which line will my cargo take?
The line and the exit gateway are confirmed per booking and named in the quotation. If the routing crosses Kyrgyzstan, the 0.4% applies and we say so before you book.
Does the Khorgos line add the 0.4%?
No. The 0.4% is a Kyrgyz transit tax. The Khorgos line runs through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and never adds it.
Is one line faster?
The Wuqia line is the one with published transit times. Counted from the Wuqia crossing, a direct truck currently runs 21 to 23 days to Tehran and 18 to 21 days to Mashhad, and a transshipment truck 26 to 30 and 24 to 28 days; the domestic leg to Wuqia is typically within 7 days and is counted separately. No day count is published for the Khorgos line — transit time there is quoted on request.
Related: Xinjiang exit crossings: Khorgos and Irkeshtam · Uzbekistan and the Bukhara transload · Transit through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan · China to Iran road freight overview