Iraq celebrates launch of TIR System
By John Lee.
With the TIR system now live in Iraq since April 2025, the Minister of Transport and industry leaders officially marked this milestone this week in Baghdad, signalling a new era for international logistics and trade.
The official launch of the global TIR transit system in Baghdad brought together the public and private sectors to celebrate this momentous achievement. The event was organised under the patronage of H.E. Razzaq Muhaibes Al-Saadawi, Iraq's Minister of Transport, and IRU members General Company for Land Transportation (GCLT) and Transforat.
Managed by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) under a UN mandate, TIR was created in 1949 in post-war Europe to rebuild devastated economies. Its mission then - making cross-border trade efficient and secure - is just as relevant today.
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto, who delivered the keynote speech, said:
" Today, we celebrate the full implementation of the global TIR transit system in the Republic of Iraq. This is a hugely important step taken by the Iraqi government and supported by different stakeholders across the Iraqi administration.
"This new chapter for Iraq will revive and revamp the country's ancient role as a key crossroads in regional and international trade. "
"What TIR did 75 years ago for Europe, it has continued to do ever since for Türkiye, the Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and now, Iraq."
According to a statement from IRU, demand for TIR has soared in the Middle East, growing over 400 percent between 2023 and 2024.
It adds that, alongside robust security, the system's phenomenal success in the region stems from its efficiency and speed - cutting transport times by up to 92% across GCC borders, for example.
" The success of the first shipments that have already transited your borders under TIR is a noteworthy milestone in this journey and a precursor of future success, " said Umberto de Pretto.
Logistics and transport companies are starting TIR operations from departure points such as Mersin, Türkiye, to the GCC via the Iraqi seaport of Umm Qasr. With TIR, this journey is being completed securely in less than a week, compared to a minimum of 14 days via the Red Sea, or up to 26 days if the ship needs to reroute around Africa.
In a fully inland operation, a shipment from Poland to the UAE via Türkiye and Iraq was completed in a record 12 days. According to the operator, a multimodal operation via the Red Sea would have taken at least 21 days.
TIR's electronic pre-declaration system (TIR-EPD) has also been integrated with Iraq's URUK platform, enabling the submission of advance cargo information. Trucks can be closely monitored using GPS tracking throughout their journey, while regular checkpoints ensure cargo and transport security.
" Today, we are not merely launching a transit system. We are celebrating a new chapter in Iraq's journey towards prosperity, connectivity and global relevance. The best chapters of Iraq's history are still to be written, " concluded Umberto de Pretto.
In high-level talks, IRU and the Minister of Transport discussed next steps to build on this momentum and support Iraq's Development Road Project. They also explored the opening of new inland customs offices for the clearance of goods transported under TIR.
Umberto de Pretto also held bilateral meetings with Lieutenant General Sami Radi (Advisor to the Prime Minister on ports, customs and transport affairs), Lieutenant General Dr Omar Adnan Al-Waeli (President of Iraq's Border Ports Authority), Thamer Qasim Daoud (Director General of the Iraqi General Customs Authority) and Murtada Karim Al-Shahmani (General Manager and Chairman of the Board of Directors of GCLT).
See our Comprehensive Guide to Logistics in Iraq here.
(Sources: IRU, Ministry of Transport)
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