Shipping documents for Iran–China trade, by route

Most of the paperwork for an Iran–China shipment stays the same whichever way the goods travel. The commercial documents and the customs steps at each end do not depend on the route; the transport document does. This guide sets out what each side expects as of 8 October 2026.

Which commercial documents does every shipment need?

Every shipment between Iran and China, in either direction, needs a commercial invoice and a packing list. Under every Incoterms 2020 rule, the seller must provide a commercial invoice that conforms to the contract, on paper or electronically as agreed (article A1). Iran’s customs also expects a certificate of origin with the import declaration, and Chinese buyers commonly ask for one.

Iran’s customs expects all three with the import declaration, together with the transport document, an insurance policy where one applies, the order-registration record and any permits the goods require. Keep the goods description, quantities and HS code identical on every document.

Who issues certificates of origin in China and Iran?

In China, certificates of origin are issued by customs and by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and its local branches, under GACC Decree 270, in force since 1 September 2024. The exporter applies before or at shipment, with the commercial invoice and other evidence of origin. The issuing body must complete its review within two working days.

In Iran, certificates of origin are issued by the chambers of commerce, industries, mines and agriculture (the ICCIMA network) and, in free zones, by the free-zone organisation. Applications go through the national system at coo.iccima.ir.

China and Iran have no preferential trade agreement: as of 8 October 2026, Iran does not appear in any agreement on the Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s FTA network. Certificates in both directions are therefore non-preferential: they establish origin but carry no tariff preference. Iran’s free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (in force since 15 May 2025) covers only Iranian or EAEU goods, not Chinese goods crossing Kazakhstan.

Which transport document applies on each route?

The transport document is the one paper that changes with the route: a bill of lading or sea waybill by sea, an SMGS consignment note by rail, and a CMR consignment note on road legs.

Sea. The carrier issues a bill of lading or a sea waybill. China’s revised Maritime Code, in force since 1 May 2026, recognises a shipped (on-board) bill of lading and a received-for-shipment bill. A straight bill names the consignee and cannot be transferred, and neither can a sea waybill. An order bill can be transferred to a new holder by endorsement.

Iranian ports, including those on the Gulf of Oman, have been under a US naval blockade since 14 July 2026, and ships bound to or from them are being redirected. Most major container lines are not routing through the Strait of Hormuz. The routes guide compares the options.

Rail. Rail freight through Central Asia moves under the SMGS agreement, which allows one consignment note for the whole journey. China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Iran are all parties to the text in force since 1 July 2026.

The SMGS note evidences the contract of carriage and names the consignee. The agreement makes no provision for endorsing it to a new holder, so it does not work as a document of title. It is completed in Chinese or Russian: Chinese for dispatch from China, and Russian for traffic to, from or through Iran and Central Asia. Translations may be attached; confirm the language with the dispatch railway. China Railway piloted its first electronic international consignment note on 17 September 2026, on a Russia route, not yet on Iran services.

Under SMGS, one note can cover the whole route, through both gauge changes. No operator has confirmed that every China–Iran train runs on one note, so confirm it for your shipment. China and Iran both use standard gauge (1,435 mm), while Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan use 1,520 mm, so containers are transferred, or wagons re-bogied, at the China–Kazakhstan border and again at the Turkmenistan–Iran border. One SMGS rule matters most for paperwork: the consignor must attach to the note the documents needed for customs and other formalities along the whole route (article 22).

China is not a COTIF member, so a China–Iran rail move generally runs on SMGS alone; the combined CIM/SMGS note matters only if goods continue from Iran to Türkiye or Europe.

Road. Between Iran and Central Asia, road legs use a CMR consignment note: Iran (since 1998), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are all parties to the CMR convention. China is not, so for a road leg starting in China, confirm which rules the carrier’s note follows. TIR carnets are used for customs transit between Central Asia and Iran. China joined the TIR Convention in 2016 (in force for China from January 2017), and TIR operations from China resumed in 2023.

What does Iran require for imports?

Imports into Iran start with order registration, which must be completed before the goods ship. The Iranian importer registers the order on the National Trade Single Window (ntsw.ir), run by the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, using its commercial card and the seller’s proforma invoice. Customs will not clear goods without it. Rules change, so check them at order registration.

Goods under Iran’s mandatory national standards need a certificate of conformity (COC) from the Iranian National Standards Organization (INSO). The list that applies is the one in force when the order is registered.

A pre-shipment certificate of inspection (COI) is required only for goods that the INSO list marks for it. It is issued at origin by an INSO-approved inspection company. The contract should say who books the inspection and bears its cost; the Incoterms guide explains the default.

After arrival, the importer or its customs broker files the customs declaration electronically with Iran’s customs administration (IRICA), linked to the order registration and supported by the documents above.

What does China require on import and export?

On import, the Chinese importer files a customs declaration under GACC Decree 277, in force since 1 May 2025. Inspection and quarantine are part of the same customs process: the former CIQ service has worked under the name of customs since 20 April 2018, so there is no separate inspection application.

Food and agricultural goods need more. Each consignment carries the official health or phytosanitary certificate that the relevant GACC protocol or announcement requires, issued by the exporting country’s competent authority. The overseas producer must be registered with GACC, and since 1 June 2026, when Decree 280 replaced Decree 248, the declaration must give the producer’s China registration number. The guide to exporting food and agricultural goods to China covers market access, registration and labels.

On export, the Chinese exporter files an export declaration with customs. Goods on the 2026 export licence catalogue (Ministry of Commerce and GACC Announcement 2025 No. 89, effective 1 January 2026) need an export licence from the Ministry of Commerce or its authorised local office, presented to customs at clearance.

Which documents are needed, by route?

Apart from the transport document, the same papers serve sea and rail.

Document	Issued or filed by	Route
Commercial invoice, packing list	Seller	Sea and rail
Certificate of origin	China: customs or CCPIT. Iran: chambers (ICCIMA)	Sea and rail
Bill of lading or sea waybill	Ocean carrier	Sea
SMGS consignment note	Consignor and dispatch railway	Rail
CMR consignment note	Road carrier	Road legs
Insurance certificate	Insurer, where the contract requires it	Sea and rail
Order registration (Iran)	Iranian importer, on the trade single window	Sea and rail
COC; COI where listed (Iran)	INSO; INSO-approved inspection company	Sea and rail
Export licence (China)	Ministry of Commerce, listed goods only	Sea and rail
Health or phytosanitary certificate	Exporting country’s authority (food, agricultural goods)	Sea and rail

What this means for you

Settle three points in the contract before the goods leave: who applies for the certificate of origin, who the named consignee is, and who books any pre-shipment inspection. On rail, the consignee named on the SMGS note receives the goods, so get it right at dispatch, and send the customs documents for every border with the note.

For imports into Iran, confirm that order registration is complete before loading. For food and agricultural goods bound for China, check the producer’s registration and the certificate the protocol requires before signing.

Rules on both sides changed in 2025 and 2026 and may change again, so check them for each order. Mehan’s trade desk publishes the current corridor status and a route planner that lists the usual documents for each route.