SHENYANG, April 8 -- Loaded with 20 tonnes of locally-produced ice cream, two refrigerated trucks bearing TIR signs on Monday departed from an international road transport assembly center in Shenyang, the capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The shipment will exit China via the Bakti port in Xinjiang, traverse Kazakhstan and arrive in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, in around 8 to 10 days.

This marks the official launch of Shenyang's first TIR cross-border road transport route connecting China, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, a new route that expands the assembly center's existing China-Russia transport network.

TIR, an abbreviation for Transports Internationaux Routiers, or International Road Transport, is an international customs transit system that saves time and cuts costs for transport operators and customs authorities moving goods across borders. Notably, China became a member of the TIR system in 2016.

"This direct route from Shenyang to Tashkent ensures seamless delivery without transshipment," said Han Qingfeng, general manager of the shipping company, adding that monthly operations are planned.

Since its certification by the International Road Transport Union in late 2024, the Shenyang assembly center has handled 50 TIR shipments valued at over 30 million yuan (about 4.16 million U.S. dollars), exporting machinery, auto parts, office supplies and food.