On April 9, a TIR international road transport truck loaded with fresh flowers from Yunnan—including roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums—departed from the Xinluosiwan Customs Inspection Center, a pilot site for Kunming’s market procurement trade. The truck is scheduled to exit China via the Alashankou port and is expected to arrive in Moscow, Russia, seven days later. This marks the successful test of Yunnan Province’s first “TIR + market procurement” export operation.

Photo provided by Guandu District Bureau of Commerce and Investment Promotion.

The TIR (Transport International Router) system, backed by a standardized guarantee mechanism, enables “one declaration, one truck, one sealed shipment.” This approach can save two to three days of border inspection time, significantly improving customs efficiency and reducing spoilage risk for time-sensitive goods such as fresh flowers. Furthermore, door-to-door delivery eliminates multiple transfers and repeated handling, helping preserve flower quality. The market procurement trade model offers additional benefits, including VAT exemption and the ability to export without invoices. When combined with TIR, this integrated approach reduces export costs for businesses by approximately 9%, enabling Yunnan flowers and other agricultural products to access Central Asian markets more efficiently.

Photo provided by Guandu District Bureau of Commerce and Investment Promotion.

The successful trial of the “TIR + market procurement” model represents a major breakthrough in integrating logistics channels with market procurement and marks an important step in Kunming’s strategy to internationalize its flower industry.

Photo provided by Guandu District Bureau of Commerce and Investment Promotion.

Looking ahead, the Kunming pilot zone for market procurement trade will continue improving its service system, addressing process bottlenecks, and promoting regular operations of this model. With efficient, convenient, and low-cost international road transport and customs clearance, fresh flowers from Guandu District will reach Central Asian markets faster. This initiative will also help more of Yunnan’s highland specialty agricultural products—including flowers, fruits, and others—go global, expanding Guandu’s presence in international markets.

Click here to view the Chinese report

(Editors: Evan, Flynn)