As of May 28, 2025, the scale and related development of China's TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) fleet can be comprehensively understood based on the following key information:
1. Vehicle scale nationwide
1. Approved vehicle basic data: As of July 2024, there are 360 TIR-approved vehicles nationwide, covering 13 inland and port customs offices.
2. New deliveries and expansions:
In April 2025, FAW Jiefang delivered 200 HuanV mid-axle car carriers to Jiaotong-Railway Logistics, specifically for TIR cross-border transportation, significantly expanding the fleet's transportation capacity.
- As a national core hub, the SCO Demonstration Zone has seen its registered vehicles increase from 9 to 150 in 2024, accounting for a significant share of the country.
II. Regional Distribution and Operation Centers
1. SCO Demonstration Zone (Qingdao):
In 2024, 283 TIR vehicles were shipped, carrying a cargo volume of 4,349 tons and a cargo value of 195 million yuan, ranking first in the country in terms of export shipment volume.
In the first quarter of 2025, 80 shipments were made, with a total value exceeding 54 million yuan, and the cumulative shipment volume reached 372 shipments, continuing to lead the nation.
2. Henan hub:
- The TIR vehicles supervised by Zhengzhou Xinzheng Customs account for 70% of the national total (with a cumulative supervision of 182 vehicles as of February 2024), and three routes, including Zhengzhou-Moscow, have been opened.
III. Number of certified enterprises
- In 2024, there were 118 TIR certificate-holding enterprises nationwide.
- The number of certified enterprises surged by 30% in 2025, reaching a total of 150, indicating a rapid increase in industry participation.
IV. Growth Trends and Challenges
1. Surge in transportation demand: Due to the sharp increase in freight volume in the SCO Demonstration Zone, the fleet has undergone multiple rounds of expansion, yet the vehicles still "cannot keep up with the growth of cargo sources".
2. Competition and cost pressure:
- The increase in the number of enterprises has led to "involution" in the industry. Russian customs have imposed an 80% surcharge on equipment fees and extended the customs clearance time by 15%, squeezing profit margins.
Leading enterprises maintain their competitiveness through "hub resource integration" (such as in Qingdao and Zhengzhou) and the "TIR + cross-border e-commerce" model.
V. Outlook
With the deepening of the Belt and Road Initiative, TIR, as the "fourth logistics channel," complements sea transportation, air transportation, and scheduled trains. Hub cities such as Qingdao and Zhengzhou continue to densify their routes (such as China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan and China-Kazakhstan-Russia), and the scale of future fleets and shipment volume is expected to further increase.
As of May 2025, the scale of China's TIR fleet has been rapidly expanding, with over 360 approved vehicles nationwide (based on 2024 figures) + an additional 200 special vehicles, and 150 certified enterprises; regional operations are concentrated in the SCO Demonstration Zone (Qingdao) and the Henan hub, with shipping volume accounting for a dominant share of the country. Despite intensified competition due to rising costs, policy support and corridor construction continue to drive the industry's large-scale development.
