By John Lee. Gulftainer has launched its first dedicated feeder service linking the UAE and Umm Qasr, seventeen years after the company established Iraq's first modern container terminal at the port in 2009. According to Gulftainer, the new service is operated under the company's shipping arm, GT Lines, and connects Umm Qasr directly to UAE […]
By John Lee. Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have held talks on establishing a logistics corridor linking Syrian ports with Gulf markets via Iraq. According to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Qutaiba Badawi, Chairman of Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Ports, met a delegation that included UAE Chargé d'Affaires […]
By John Lee. A weekly shipping service has been launched linking Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Port with Umm Qasr Port in Iraq, aimed at enhancing trade flows across the region. According to Abu Dhabi Ports (AD Ports Group), the service addresses growing container and Ro-Ro cargo volumes and is designed to strengthen connectivity between Lebanon, Syria, […]
By John Lee. The TIR international road transit system became fully operational in Iraq on 1 April 2025, with transport companies opening seven routes via the country and completing more than 1,000 operations within the first eight months, according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU). Iraq subsequently made TIR mandatory for all goods transiting […]
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. US-based Amentum Services has been awarded a $11,519,840 contract for "T-6 sustainment and contractor logistics support." According to a statement from the US Department of War "This contract provides for 15 T-6A aircraft sustainment contract, including Supply Support, Field Service Representative, Labor and Engineering Task Assignments for a 90-day transition period and […]
By John Lee. Iraq's General Company for Road Transport, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Transport, has recorded more than 1,000 international freight journeys under the TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) system since the beginning of March 2026 through to 10 May, a development the company says reflects growing confidence in Iraq as an international transit […]
By John Lee. A committee has been formed in Jordan to oversee and expedite transit trade, with a particular focus on goods destined for Iraq. According to Jordan's state-run Petra news agency, the committee will submit operational reports every three days on the movement of goods from the Port of Aqaba to their final destinations, and […]
By John Lee. The General Company for Land Transport (GCLT) has marked one year since the launch of the International Road Transport (TIR) system in Iraq, which came into operation in April 2025. According to the company's director-general, Mortada Karim Al-Shahmani, approximately 2,000 transit operations have been completed across Iraqi territory during the first year. […]
By John Lee. The Rabia border crossing between Iraq and Syria has reopened after 13 years, restoring a key trade route between the two countries. The reopening follows the completion of rehabilitation and reconstruction works covering infrastructure and service facilities, reflecting improved security conditions in border areas and a broader push to strengthen regional trade […]
By John Lee. According to a statement today (Wednesday) from Iraq's Ministry of Trade, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has led to a gradual recovery in maritime traffic, although activity remains below normal levels amid continued geopolitical uncertainty. It says early signs of improvement have been observed in trade flows, particularly in energy […]
By John Lee. Iraq's General Company for Land Transportation (GCLT) has successfully completed a trial freight journey under the TIR system along a new corridor linking Turkey, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. The route runs from the Ibrahim Al-Khalil border crossing to the Arar crossing, with the trial completed within the planned schedule and without reported […]
