The first shipment under the United Nations ‘Transports Internationaux Routiers’ (TIR) convention arrived in India from Afghanistan through Iran’s Chabahar Port.
The consignments arrived at port of Nhava Sheva, Mumbai and Mundra on Wednesday, officials said.
Welcoming the arrival of the maiden shipment, Pranab Kumar Das, Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC), Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, said the TIR convention will help in fast and easy movement of goods across multiple countries under a common customs document and guarantee.
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TIR Carnets
India had joined the TIR Convention (the United Nations Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets) on June 15, 2017.
The convention allows goods to be outlined in a TIR carnet and sealed in load compartments.
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Customs officials verify the carnet and check the seals, with no need for physical checking of the contents, enabling shipments to pass through countries without being opened at borders.
“Reciprocal recognition of customs controls is at the heart of the Convention. This enables a facilitative and non-intrusive environment for multi-modal transport of goods through several countries,” Mr. Das said.
He said the convention will help boost India’s exports and enable greater participation in the global value chains.
Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI, said, “TIR will play a pivotal role in improving ease of doing business and pave the way for smoother and safer transport of goods across international borders and will help boost trade between India, Central Asia, Europe and Russia.”
Strong catalyst
“It will act as a strong catalyst for moving goods using the multi-modal transportation route like Chabahar and International North-South Transport (INSTC) Corridor. The system is a win-win-win model for Customs, FICCI and the business community,” he added.
“The opening of Chabahar Port for TIR is hugely significant — offering connectivity for landlocked countries, seamless border crossing facilitation and intermodal capabilities,” said Umberto Pretto, IRU Secretary General.
“It also highlights how TIR has been chosen by these three countries as a key tool to help activate the Chabahar transport agreement. The operation will definitely open the door for activation of other intermodal corridors such as International North South Transport Corridor — connecting India to Central Asia, Russia and eventually Europe,” Mr. Pretto said.
FICCI has been appointed as National Issuing & Guaranteeing Association and system is managed worldwide by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), Geneva and overseen by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
More than 34,000 operators are authorised to use the TIR system and in 2017, around 1.2 million TIR Carnets were issued worldwide. Ultimately, the system facilitates and encourages international trade, and thereby provides many advantages and benefits to the national economy by simplifying the movement of national and international transport, giving access to over 62 TIR operational countries.