TIR Treaty

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The TIR Convention, 1975, with its 66 Contracting Parties (2006) constitutes one of the most effective international instruments prepared under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). TIR stands for “Transports Internationaux Routiers”, meaning: international road transport. The TIR Convention offers international trade and transport a Customs transit system with maximum facility to move goods in sealed vehicles or containers from a Customs office of departure in one country to a Customs office of destination in another country without requiring extensive and time-consuming border checks at intermediate borders at a cost-effective price, while at the same time providing Customs with the required security and guarantees. In fact, the TIR system not only covers Customs transit by road; a combination with other modes of transport (rail, inland waterway and even maritime transport) is possible, as long as one part of the total transport is made by road. Up to now, more than 38,000 international transport operators have been authorized by their respective national competent authorities to access the TIR system, using more than 3,2 million TIR Carnets per year. In view of the expected increase in world trade, further enlargement of its geographical scope and the forthcoming introduction of an electronic TIR system (so-called “eTIR-system”), it is expected that the TIR system will continue to remain the only truly global Customs transit system.