By John Lee. Iraq will suspend customs duties on basic commodities such as foodstuffs, construction materials and essential consumables for a period of two months. In response to the increasing prices of various commodities, Iraq will also suspend the import ban on some goods, including foodstuffs, consumables, and medicines. The ban was in place to […]
By John Lee. Iraq's General Customs Authority has announced the reopening of the Safwan/Abdali border crossing between Iraq and Kuwait. The crossing had previously been closed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Designs were completed earlier this year for a redevelopment of the crossing. (Source: General Customs Authority)
By John Lee. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has published a new report into Iraq's customs and tariff arrangements. This report summarizes key findings and recommendations from a remote technical assistance (TA) assignment performed by a short-term expert (STX), Mr. Djamel Bouhabel, from January 17 to February 4, 2021, to the General Customs Authority of […]
By Salam Zidane for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq automates its customs service to reduce corruption at border crossings The Iraqi government has taken several new initiatives to fight corruption, from automating border crossings, arresting corrupt figures […]
Ministerial delegations from Iran and Iraq agreed on plans to promote cooperation on customs affairs, pave the way for joint investment, and expand the capacity for transportation between the two neighboring countries. After two rounds of meetings on Saturday, delegations led by Iranian Economy Minister Farhad Dejpasand and Iraq's Finance Minister Ali Abdul-Amir Allawi reached […]
By John Lee. At a meeting last week under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, the Iraqi Cabinet agreed to: Approve the draft Pension and Social Security Law and refer it to Parliament. The draft law aims to give the same pension, social security and other rights to workers in the private sector as […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi government has reportedly removed the Fayida customs post between Mosul and Duhok province on Tuesday, following a parliamentary vote that deemed the customs points illegal and ordered their removal. According to Rudaw, the checkpoint, along with two others established by former Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi between Sulaimani and Kirkuk and […]
By John Lee. Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will reportedly soon unify customs duties to streamline the system and prevent the double taxation of the Kurdistan Region’s businessmen. According to Rudaw, Erbil and Baghdad have two different customs fees, causing disputes between the two aresa. They previously reached a preliminary agreement on unifying […]
By John Lee. MENAFN reports that 540 Jordanian goods have been officially exempted from customs duties of Iraq. Jordan's Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, Yarub Al-Qudah (pictured) said the decision aims to increase Jordanian exports to the Iraqi market, promoting economic cooperation between the two countries. He added that Jordanian trucks will be allowed […]
By Wassim Bassem for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Probe blames corruption for imports of bad food, medicine in Iraq Iraq's parliament is investigating allegations that corruption and fraud at border crossings involving "influential entities" have led to […]
By Salam Zidane for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The head of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi parliament, Hakem al-Zamili, has spoken out about the corruption prevailing over Iraq's border crossings. In a press conference held Oct. 3, he stated that the state was not benefiting from […]
State Commission for Customs, in coordination with the National Investment Commission (NIC), has announced an investment opportunity to establish a customs check point in Al Safra Zone / Al Uthaim in Diyala Province, and provide all necessary requirements and services (logistic and security). Interested investors are entitled to present their wish to the customs commission […]
