IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto and International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary General Kitack Lim met this week in London to consider pragmatic solutions to increasing the efficiency of intermodal transport.
Representing well-established international organisations with a shared history of upholding UN maritime and road transport conventions, this week’s meeting offered IRU and IMO the chance to discuss how the two organisations can leverage each other’s experience and expertise to further facilitate and secure containerised movements in the supply chain. While both organisations address safety and environment issues related to maritime and road transport respectively, their activities in trade and transport facilitation can achieve much greater results for governments and industry if efforts were to be coordinated. Both recognised that a joint focused approach on organising efficient logistics from the point of origin, in the ports, through to final destination by streamlining the data and documentation flows could bring tremendous benefits to all actors across supply chain.
“The use of the TIR system for intermodal transport offers numerous benefits for maritime and road transport stakeholders alike.”
The trade community in the countries which have most recently implemented the TIR system, such as China, India, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the UAE, all rely heavily on the combination of maritime and road transport. Trade partners value most the reduction of waiting time in ports and at borders, but also transparency, security and integrity of cargo. Providing a single international guarantee accompanied by cargo data sent to all customs authorities along the route in advance, TIR effectively addresses all these needs. The recent activation of intermodal routes using TIR to connect the UAE with the Czech Republic and Slovenia with Iran, Afghanistan and India, have been most welcomed by both the private and public sectors.
“The use of the TIR system for intermodal transport offers numerous benefits for maritime and road transport stakeholders alike. The meeting with the Secretary General and his senior staff confirmed the interest of both IMO and IRU to take decisive steps towards making supply chains more efficient and secure,” said Mr de Pretto.
