Cabinet orders ban on drinks and cake imports

BAGHDAD, October 10 — Iraq’s Cabinet, the Council of Ministers, issued a ban on imports of various drinks and snack items on Monday, with the decision set to take effect after 90 days.

The decision will be reviewed next year by the Ministry of Industry to assess its impact on the local market.

The Cabinet issued a statement, which said:

In the context of supporting local production, the Cabinet approved the recommendation of Economic Ministerial Council No. (230226/Q) regarding the ban on the import of various types of juices, refreshments, and cakes as follows:

1. Remove juices, refreshments, pastries, and cakes of all kinds from the import lists, with a review of the removal decision to be conducted after one year by the Ministry of Industry and Minerals/Department of Industrial Development and Regulation. This review aims to evaluate the impact of the removal on the local market, either positively or negatively. If the assessment is positive, the removal decision will continue until a genuine need for future reconsideration arises.
2. This decision will take effect after a period of 90 days from its issuance, with regards to pastries and cakes of all kinds. Meanwhile, the ban on the import of juices and refreshments, currently in place, will continue.
3. Local producers are required to continue submitting protection requests for the products covered by this decision.