هەواڵ
“Setting customs policy is the authority of the federal government, while the administration of customs will be joint.” This is the summary of the agreement between Erbil and Baghdad on unifying customs policy—a policy that has recently caused disputes between the two sides, particularly regarding the implementation of the (ASYCUDA) system.
بڵاوکراوەتەوە لە : 6 نیسان 2026
قەبارەی دەقەکان
قەبارەی دەقەکان
Fuad Hussein, Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and also Deputy Prime Minister for Kurdish affairs, chaired a meeting of Iraq’s Economic Ministerial Council.
According to the official statement, the Kurdistan Region’s delegation—comprising the Head of the Council of Ministers’ Office, the Secretary of the Council of Ministers, and the Head of the Region’s Representation in Baghdad—participated in the meeting. This was in addition to the participation of the heads of the chambers of commerce from Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, and Halabja.
During the meeting, discussions focused on unifying customs procedures across all border crossings.
After extending greetings, the Secretary of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Council of Ministers stated:
“The Kurdistan Region supports any governmental effort to strengthen the customs system and automate government procedures.”
The council then discussed the mechanisms and tools for implementing the (ASYCUDA) system at the Region’s border crossings, emphasizing that:
“Formulating customs policy is the responsibility of the federal government, while the administration of customs should be conducted jointly with the regional government.”
“A joint agreement was reached to unify customs policy, including tariffs and protection policies, in a way that serves the public interest and ensures transparency in the implementation of these policies,” the statement added.
The council also decided to form a technical delegation from the Kurdistan Region’s General Directorate of Customs, which will meet with the national team responsible for implementing the early warning system at the Ministry of Finance. The aim is to discuss mechanisms for standardizing procedures from a technical perspective, while taking into account the specific characteristics and applicable laws of the Region.
Both teams are expected to submit their reports within a few days to the Economic Ministerial Council, in order for a final decision to be made.
