Baghdad and Erbil meet to unify customs procedures

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Border Ports Commission held a meeting Tuesday with federal and regional representatives aimed at unifying customs procedures between federal authorities and the Kurdistan Region, focusing on tariff alignment and the rollout of a shared electronic system.

The meeting, held under commission chief Lt. Gen. Omar al-Waeli and convened on directives from the Ministerial Council for Economy, discussed unifying the customs tariff and implementing the ASYCUDA electronic system across all border crossings. Participants also addressed customs exemptions, prohibition and restriction lists, standardization and quality control, radiographic inspection procedures, the agricultural calendar, unofficial crossings and tax procedures.

Waeli called for discussions “in a positive spirit, making citizens’ needs, meeting their requirements, and facilitating trade movement between the region and the governorates a top priority.” He noted that “the region is going through exceptional circumstances that require everyone to overcome differences in viewpoints and implementation,” and described the commission as “a point of meeting and understanding with the region.”

Efforts to unify customs procedures follow years of differences between federal and regional systems, including variations in tariff application at border crossings that have led to trade disruptions and delays. Previous attempts to enforce unified tariffs and clearance procedures have highlighted the impact of inconsistent regulations on traders and supply chains. Recent discussions between Baghdad and Erbil have focused on aligning tariffs and ensuring consistent conditions for companies operating across all crossings.