TIR system key to stabilizing cross-border road freight: IRU chief

The TIR customs transit system can stabilize and accelerate cross-border road trade by eliminating border delays and streamlining customs procedures, said Habib Turki, secretary-general of the International Road Transport Union (IRU), on Wednesday.

TIR, an abbreviation for Transports Internationaux Routiers, or International Road Transports, is an international customs transit system managed by the IRU to help save time and cost for transport operators and customs authorities when moving goods across borders.

Speaking in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Beijing, Turki noted that TIR's core value lies in standardizing how shipments are handled across countries and stripping out repeat processes that create delays and uncertainty.

"This is what you really see with TIR, it's that harmonization, it's the removal of unnecessary barriers, it's the removal of redundant checks. And at the end of the day, the key benefit and how we translate this in reality is competitiveness," Turki said.

China joined the TIR Convention in July 2016 to simplify and streamline the administrative formalities of international road transport. In May 2024, Xinjiang's Kashgar became home to China's first TIR assembly center certified by the IRU.

Looking ahead, Turki believes that technological innovation will be central to the next stage of cross-border road transport, and he called for deeper participation from China in shaping how TIR evolves.

"We want to learn also from China how transport is dealt with in this country. We have seen a lot of incredible advancement. We have seen fascinating innovation coming out of China in different areas of work, in autonomous driving, in new energy, electrification. Absolutely fascinating. A lot of lessons to be learned from China. And I believe also that we can co-create together the solutions of the future. IRU represents the largest community of transport operators around the world. We are talking about both freight transport and passenger transport, and we are here to support the development of the transport community here in China," said Turki.

TIR system key to stabilizing cross-border road freight: IRU chief

European diesel car owners are collectively shelling out an extra 203 million euros per day as global diesel prices surge, according to a report released on September released on Wednesday by pan-European campaign group Transport and Environment (T&E).

European diesel prices have risen by more than 40 percent since the start of the year, the report said. Diesel truck operators are now paying an average of 236 euros more per week for fuel, while diesel car owners across Europe are collectively shouldering an additional 203 million euros in costs every day.

Diesel prices have been climbing steadily across many European countries in recent weeks. In France and Germany, diesel prices recently broke through the 2.40 euro-per-liter mark, both hitting record highs.

The report attributed the spike in international diesel prices to geopolitical conflicts and disruptions to refined fuel supplies. With nearly 40 percent of all passenger cars in Europe running on diesel, the continent has become the region hardest hit by high diesel prices worldwide.

Over the long term, the report said, the way for Europe to mitigate the impact of high oil prices is to shift its cars from diesel to electric.

T&E noted that as long as Europe's road transport relies on internal combustion engines, the continent will remain dependent on a commodity whose prices are highly volatile and difficult to control. "In the longer-term, electrification would significantly reduce diesel demand."

Surging diesel prices cost Europeans extra 200 million euros daily: report