Paraguay asserts strong interest in joining TIR system

In a meeting with IRU, Paraguay's Director of the National Directorate of Tax Revenues expressed strong interest in joining the global TIR transit system, recognising its potential to strengthen regional trade and logistics connectivity.

The adoption of TIR is becoming increasingly crucial for Paraguay as the development of the Bioceanic Corridor - a major infrastructure project linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile - progresses.

The Director of Paraguay's National Directorate of Tax Revenues, Óscar Orué, met with IRU Senior Manager for TIR and Transit Lucas Lagier to discuss the trade facilitation opportunities TIR could bring to the country.

Óscar Orué highlighted that the ongoing assessment of Paraguay's accession to TIR represents a decisive step towards strengthening regional logistics and boosting foreign trade.

Earlier this year, Brazil became the newest country to sign up to the TIR system, joining Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. This has reinforced momentum for other South American countries to join TIR.

IRU recently held a conference in Brazil, together with its member NTC&Logística, where participants highlighted the significant benefits of coupling the Bioceanic Corridor with TIR.

At the event, Infra S.A., a Brazilian state-owned transport planning company, presented a study on integrating TIR with the Bioceanic Corridor.

The study found that TIR could reduce transport costs along the Bioceanic Corridor by 30%. This aligns with TIR's proven global impact, where it has reduced transport costs by up to 50% depending on the route and context.

As a landlocked country, Paraguay faces inherent trade cost challenges. Goods must transit through neighbouring countries before reaching seaports, multiplying customs procedures, documentation requirements, and transit guarantees along the way.

TIR directly addresses such challenges by ensuring that customs controls performed at the point of departure are mutually recognised by all transit countries. TIR eliminates the need for repeated inspections, documentation and guarantees at each border.

For a country whose export competitiveness depends heavily on the efficiency of its overland transit corridors, this translates into lower logistics costs, faster delivery times and greater predictability for exporters.

These are the key benefits that have driven TIR adoption among other landlocked countries such as Uzbekistan, which is globally the number one user of TIR and uses it as the primary instrument for its export trade by road.

Joining the TIR system would allow Paraguay to fully integrate into this new axis of continental connectivity, promoting faster, more predictable and more secure international freight transit.