By John Lee.
The TIR international road transit system became fully operational in Iraq on 1 April 2025, with transport companies opening seven routes via the country and completing more than 1,000 operations within the first eight months, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU).
Iraq subsequently made TIR mandatory for all goods transiting its territory by road in November 2025, reinforcing security and efficiency across cross-border operations. The Iraqi General Commission for Customs now requires all land-based transit to use TIR, with the system's electronic pre-declaration platform (TIR-EPD) integrated to support advance cargo information submission.
Notable transit times recorded under the system include:
- Poland to the UAE in 10 days, compared with 24 days via traditional multimodal routes
- Hungary to Jordan in around six days, against five weeks by non-TIR routes
- Romania to Jordan in five days, instead of eight weeks via multimodal routes
- Türkiye to Kuwait in four days, against a 45-day maritime journey
- Türkiye to the UAE in 10 days, compared with 20-30 days by sea
Kuwait's General Administration of Customs authorised TIR trucks to enter the country from the Iraqi border without trailer swaps following the system's rollout.
In October 2025, Syria launched its first TIR transit operations through Iraq to reach Gulf Cooperation Council markets, with shipments of live animals transiting Iraq before reaching Kuwait and Qatar.
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said the TIR system had "immediately opened doors to efficient and secure trade via Iraq", adding that the Development Road project required "a harmonised border and customs system" of this kind. He also noted that, as maritime and air routes face disruption from regional conflict, Iraq was "fast becoming a vital land bridge between the GCC, Türkiye and Europe".
(Source: International Road Transport Union)
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