KARACHI: In a bid to further enhance Sino-Pak trade relations through the efficient implementation of the United Nations-mandated Transport Internationaux Routiers (TIR) conventions, the National Logistics Corporation (NLC) and CEVA Logistics signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The signing ceremony took place at Headquarters NLC was attended by Major General Farrukh Shahzad Rao, Director General NLC, senior officials from NLC and CEVA Logistics. Brigadier Nasir Zia (retd), Chief Operating Officer of NLC, and Kelvin Tang, Ground & Rail Voice President Greater China, Japan & Korea; Global Cross Border & Multimodal Leader from CEVA Logistics signed MoU on behalf of their respective organizations.

Under the MoU, NLC and CEVA Logistics will be nominated as logistics partners in their respective countries to provide secure and streamlined customs transit services for international road transport of cargo. This collaboration aims to enhance the efficiency of cross-border cargo shipments via road.

Addressing the ceremony, Maj Gen Rao termed the MoU as a crucial step towards realizing the transformative potential of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He highlighted NLC’s proactive role in contributing towards the government’s efforts to establish regional land-based connectivity, positioning Pakistan as a hub for transit trade.

He highlighted NLC’s successful land transportation operations to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and China, leveraging bilateral trade agreements and the TIR framework. DG NLC also shared NLC’s plans to extend TIR operations to Central Asian Republics using the Chinese route in the future.

Kelvin Tang expressed SEVA Logistics’ excitement about partnering with Pakistan’s largest multimodal logistics organization, foreseeing benefits for business communities in both Pakistan and China. He emphasized that TIR operations along the Karakoram Highway (KKH) will activate the CPEC, a flagship project of the Belt & Road Initiative.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023