Tag Archives | United States

Trump Hits Iraq with New Tariffs

By John Lee. The United States will apply an additional duty rate of 39 percent to imports from Iraq, as part of President Trump's wide-ranging new tariff regime announced on Wednesday. The new rate, which comes into effect on Saturday, 5th April, does not apply to imports of oil, gas and refined products, according to […]

Dana Gas Increases Investment in Kurdistan Fields

By John Lee. Dana Gas has announced accelerated development at Kurdistan's Khor Mor and Chemchemal fields. Full statement from Dana Gas Dana Gas, the Middle East's leading publicly listed regional natural gas company, and its partner Crescent Petroleum, the oldest private oil & gas company in the Middle East, together with their partners in the […]

Iraq wrestles with US pressure over Iran-backed Militias

By Bridget Toomey, for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq wrestles with US pressure over Iran-backed militias The US is reportedly applying pressure on the Iraqi government and Iran to disband Iraq's pro-Iranian militias. […]

Iraq Signs Contract for New Economic City

By John Lee. The National Investment Commission (NIC) has signed the Task Order for Phase One of developing the Al-Tayeb Specialised Economic Service Zone in Maysan Province, positioning it as Iraq's first integrated economic city. Key Developments: NIC Chairman Dr. Haider Mohammed Makiyah stated that Al-Tayeb Economic City will attract global investors across agriculture, industry, […]

Video: Iraq's Economy between US, Iran: Perceptions & Realities

By John Lee. The London School of Economics (LSE)'s Middle East Centre has hosted a talk by Ahmed Tabaqchali, exploring the economic and financial interactions of the Iraqi economy with the outside world, particularly the use of the dollar in relation to Iran and the US. While the US' Iraq policy is still fluid, there […]

Iraq's Energy Plans: Turkey to Double Electricity Supply ...

By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Electricity, Eng. Ziyad Ali Fadel, has addressed key energy issues in interviews with Al Arabiya and Al Hadath, outlining government efforts to secure power supply and mitigate potential summer shortages. Key points include: The halt of exemptions has affected 800 MW of electricity imports from Iran, impacting Diyala, Maysan, […]

Iraq Prepares for US Business Delegation

By John Lee. Iraq's Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Nazar Al-Khairallah, met with Steve Lutes, Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and President of the U.S.-Iraq Business Council, along with his deputies, to discuss logistical preparations for an upcoming U.S. business delegation visit to Iraq. The delegation will include representatives from over […]

Iraq Advances Towards Operational Phase of Grand Faw Port

By John Lee. The management of the General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) held an extensive meeting this week with representatives from the Ministry of Planning and consultancy firm KBR at the Ministry of Transport headquarters to discuss the transition to the operational phase of the Grand Faw Port. Dr. Farhan Al-Fartousi, Director General […]

Trump 2.0 and Iraq's Dollar Accounts at the Fed

By Ahmed Tabaqchali, Chief Strategist of Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) Iraq Fund, for the London School of Economics (LSE) Middle East Centre. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The Empire Strikes Back: Trump 2.0 and Iraq's Dollar Accounts at the Federal Reserve […]

Survey: "Trump to Revalue Dinar in first 100 Days"

By John Lee. Back in January, Iraq Business News ran an online survey asking opinions on a revaluation of the Iraqi dinar following the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. This survey did not pretend to be scientific, as respondents were self-selecting, leading to a high risk of sampling bias, but it served to show […]

US Urges Iraq to Rein in Iran-Backed Groups

By John Lee. A US State Department spokesperson has reiterated Washington's concerns over Iranian-backed groups operating in Iraq. Responding to a question at a press briefing, Tammy Bruce emphasised that Iraq's government must maintain command and control over all security forces, including the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), and ensure they report to Iraq's commander-in-chief rather […]

Iraq's PMF Law "Is No Substitute for Real Security Reform"

By Hamdi Malik and Michael Knights, for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's PMF Law Is No Substitute for Real Security Reform The Trump administration should not be duped by the supposed "reforms" that […]