PORTS

China exit crossings for Iran cargo: Khorgos and Irkeshtam

Road cargo for Iran leaves China at one of two crossings: Khorgos, into Kazakhstan, which is the primary routing; or Irkeshtam, into Kyrgyzstan, the secondary routing. Both then run through Turkmenistan to Sarakhs.

Khorgos — road, into Kazakhstan, primary routing, no 0.4%
Irkeshtam — road, into Kyrgyzstan then Uzbekistan, secondary routing, adds 0.4% of invoice value
Alashankou handles mostly rail, not this road service
The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway is under construction, not open; Iran cargo is road

Khorgos

The default road exit. Kazakhstan corridor (Almaty–Shymkent), then Turkmenistan (Farap–Mary), then Sarakhs and Tehran West Customs. No per-shipment transit tax. Scheduled convoys Tuesday and Friday.

Irkeshtam

The secondary road exit, opposite Wuqia county. Kyrgyzstan, then Uzbekistan, then Turkmenistan. Crossing Kyrgyzstan carries the 0.4% invoice-value transit tax, billed separately.

Rail versus road

Alashankou is mostly a rail port. The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan (CKU) railway is under construction and not open, so it is not a timeline you can plan against. Iran cargo moves by road.

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

Which crossing will my cargo use?

Khorgos into Kazakhstan by default. Irkeshtam is used only for capacity or routing reasons.

Is Khorgos faster than Irkeshtam?

No meaningful difference in transit time. Khorgos avoids the 0.4% Kyrgyzstan transit tax.

Can I move the cargo by rail instead?

Not to Iran on a planned schedule. Alashankou rail serves other destinations; the CKU railway is not open.

What is the 0.4%?

A transit tax equal to 0.4% of the goods' invoice value, applied only on the Irkeshtam (Kyrgyzstan) routing.

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