ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s General Customs Authority announced on Monday that it had received the first international road transport (TIR) shipment traveling from Syria to Kuwait through Iraqi territory, describing the move as a strategic step to boost the country’s role as a regional trade and logistics hub.
The shipment entered Iraq through the al-Waleed border crossing with Syria and is set to exit via the Safwan border crossing with Kuwait, according to a statement from the authority carried by the Iraqi state news agency.
“In a qualitative achievement reflecting Iraq’s growing role as a regional hub for international transport and trade movement… the al-Waleed Border Customs Center received the first international road transport (TIR) shipment coming from Syria and heading to Kuwait,” the statement said.
The authority said customs teams at al-Waleed inspected the shipment’s documents and customs seals and completed the necessary procedures for its transit through Iraq in line with international transit regulations.
The authority described the development as “an important strategic step” aimed at activating regional transport corridors and strengthening trade connectivity between neighboring countries.
The TIR system, backed by the United Nations and used in dozens of countries worldwide, allows goods to move across borders under a single customs guarantee, reducing delays and operational costs while maintaining customs oversight.
Iraq has sought in recent years to expand its role as a transit corridor linking the Gulf, Turkey, Syria and Europe, as part of broader efforts to diversify the economy and modernize border and customs infrastructure.
The shipment entered Iraq through the al-Waleed border crossing with Syria and is set to exit via the Safwan border crossing with Kuwait, according to a statement from the authority carried by the Iraqi state news agency.
“In a qualitative achievement reflecting Iraq’s growing role as a regional hub for international transport and trade movement… the al-Waleed Border Customs Center received the first international road transport (TIR) shipment coming from Syria and heading to Kuwait,” the statement said.
The authority said customs teams at al-Waleed inspected the shipment’s documents and customs seals and completed the necessary procedures for its transit through Iraq in line with international transit regulations.
The authority described the development as “an important strategic step” aimed at activating regional transport corridors and strengthening trade connectivity between neighboring countries.
The TIR system, backed by the United Nations and used in dozens of countries worldwide, allows goods to move across borders under a single customs guarantee, reducing delays and operational costs while maintaining customs oversight.
Iraq has sought in recent years to expand its role as a transit corridor linking the Gulf, Turkey, Syria and Europe, as part of broader efforts to diversify the economy and modernize border and customs infrastructure.
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