TIR pivotal to China’s "One Belt One Road" initiative

Sun Yibiao, Vice Minister of the GACC, underlined that TIR, as a well-tested tool, will streamline customs clearance procedures, bringing widespread benefits to trade facilitation. He recognised previous combined achievements of IRU and GACC and reiterated his absolute confidence in TIR to boost connectivity in the OBOR region and to counter rising trade protectionism.

Umberto de Pretto confirmed that IRU will provide full support to GACC via its close to seventy years of experience, as well as its  global network, to ensure the efficient and successful roll-out of TIR, which is due to enter into force on 5 January 2017. The GACC has also pledged to collaborate with IRU at the upcoming OBOR Summit, to be held in Beijing in 2017.

A meeting was held with Li Xuedong, Deputy Director General of NDRC, China’s top economic planner under the State Council, to establish strong partnerships in trade facilitation and training services for the transport sector under OBOR.

A further meeting with Jiang Zengwei, Chairman of the CCPIT – the largest trade promotion organisation in China – identified areas for future cooperation on the promotion of trade and growth of small-and medium-sized enterprises.