International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets Convention

The Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) was drafted in 1975. It replaces the original Transport Internationaux Routier (TIR) Convention from 1959 and came into force on 20 March 1978. The convention has now 68 contracting parties. The status and information on contracting parties can be found on the UNECE website.

The objective of the TIR Convention is to facilitate international transit through a simplified Customs transit procedures and an international guarantee system. The underpinning of the so-called TIR system are a common customs document, the TIR carnet, a common guarantee system, the mutual recognition of customs controls and secured vehicle containers. Usage of the TIR system is limited to authorized operators.

An international transit operation under the TIR system does not require national customs documents and a national guarantee. Because of the securisation of the containers, the goods are also not subject to physical inspection. As a consequence the advantages are less delays at border crossings and for the overall transit operation.
The text of the convention in six languages can be found on the UNECE website, together with additional information on the Convention. The TIR Convention is administered by the TIR Adminstrative Committee (AC.2) and the UNECE Working Party on Customs Questions affecting Transport (WP.30).

More information on the TIR system and its functioning can be found on the IRU website.
Leaflet on the benefits of the TIR Convention, including its relation with the Agreement on Trade Facilitation of the World Trade Organization.

Pages that cite the TIR Convention:

Article V of the Gatt
Customs Transit
Joint Border Controls
Transit Transport Operation
Transport
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