By John Lee. According to Iraq's Ministry of Finance, the third phase of the ASYCUDA (Automated System for Customs Data) customs management system is set to be launched at the start of next month, following a progress review meeting chaired by Finance Minister Falah Sari on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by the Director General […]
By John Lee. Iraq has agreed steps to unify customs procedures across all border crossings, including those in the Kurdistan Region, as part of efforts to enhance trade management and public revenues. The decisions were taken during a meeting of the Ministerial Council for the Economy, chaired by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and attended by […]
By John Lee. The gap between Iraq's official and parallel market exchange rates for the dinar widened from mid-December 2025 before stabilising in early March 2026, reflecting shifts in import demand and recent customs reforms. Ahmed Tabaqchali, in his latest monthly report for Iraq Business News, says the divergence was driven by increased demand for […]
By Rostom Aram, for Almas Group. Freight Under Pressure: How Regional Instability Is Reshaping Middle East Logistics The Middle East remains one of the world's most important logistics corridors, connecting production hubs in Asia with markets across Europe, Africa, and the wider region. However, periods of geopolitical tension continue to test the resilience of supply […]
From Kapita Research. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's 2026 Customs Reset Iraq's main ports have been partially paralyzed since the start of 2026. The cause is not a physical blockade but the activation of a new digital customs system […]
By John Lee. In his latest monthly investment report for Iraq Business News, Ahmed Tabaqchali shows that the gap between the parallel and official exchange rates for the Iraqi dinar (IQD) had already been rising before the U.S.-Israel war on Iran started, due to domestic customs policy changes making it harder for informal importers to […]
By John Lee. Iraq's General Customs Authority has announced temporary exceptional measures to accelerate the flow of goods and reduce congestion at ports. According to state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), the authority said the measures were adopted in line with directives from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and in response to exceptional regional conditions affecting ports […]
From Rudaw. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi Central Bank denies responsibility for dollar exchange rate gap An official from the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) told Rudaw on Wednesday that the bank is not responsible for the widening gap between […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Beleaguered by low oil prices, Iraq moves to curtail customs evasion A new scheme aimed at combating customs evasion has triggered nationwide protests and strikes in Iraq. Traders say the new regulations have […]
By John Lee. Iraq's General Customs Authority has approved new mechanisms for calculating the customs value of imported goods. The mechanisms will be applied across all customs centres and include the following measures: Adoption of the customs value stated in duly declared commercial invoices submitted under the advance declaration system, supported by bank transfers, at […]
By John Lee. Iraq's General Customs Authority has reported its highest-ever monthly customs revenues, exceeding IQD 137 billion (USD 105 million) in January 2026, reflecting the impact of recent regulatory and administrative reforms. The Authority said the increase followed the full implementation of Decision No. 957 across all customs centres, improving revenue collection efficiency and […]
From Almas Group Logistics: New Customs Regulations Take Effect at Umm Qasr Port: What Iraqi Importers Need to Know Iraqi Customs implements item-based duty calculations under Council of Ministers Decision No. 957/2025 applying customs duties based on individual item classification and value. Significant changes to customs clearance procedures are now in effect at Umm Qasr […]
