Iraq Moves to Unify Customs Policy with Kurdistan Region, Approves Trebil Crossing for Gold Imports

INA

The Iraqi Ministerial Council for the Economy's meeting.

The Iraqi Ministerial Council for the Economy announced on Monday an agreement to unify customs policy with the Kurdistan Region’s border crossings. The Council also decided to designate the Trebil border crossing with Jordan as an approved entry point for imported gold.

In a statement issued by the Council and reviewed by PUKMEDIA, it said that “Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein chaired the thirteenth session of the Ministerial Council for the Economy, held at the Council’s headquarters. The session was attended by the Ministers of Finance, Industry and Minerals (acting as Minister of Planning), Water Resources (acting as Minister of Agriculture), and Labour and Social Affairs, as well as senior officials including the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Chairman of the Securities Commission, the Deputy Chairman of the National Investment Commission, and advisers to the Prime Minister.”

According to the statement, the Council discussed mechanisms to implement the ASYCUDA system at the Kurdistan Region’s border crossings and agreed to unify customs policy, including tariffs and measures for protecting domestic products, in a way that enhances transparency and serves the public interest.

The Council also agreed to form a technical delegation from the Kurdistan Region’s General Directorate of Customs to meet with the national team implementing the pre-declaration system at the Ministry of Finance. The two sides will discuss standardising procedures from a technical perspective, taking into account the legal specificities and applicable legislation in the Region, with both teams due to submit reports to the Ministerial Council for Economy next week for a final decision.

In addition, the Council approved the inclusion of the Trebil border crossing as an authorised entry point for imported gold into Iraq until the lifting of the air embargo imposed due to ongoing military operations in the region.

The statement noted that the Council had also hosted a delegation from the Kurdistan Region, including senior officials and representatives from the Chambers of Commerce in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, and Halabja, to discuss unifying customs procedures across all border crossings.

It further added that the meeting was attended by a number of federal ministers and senior officials responsible for customs, taxation, and border crossings, alongside the national team implementing the ASYCUDA system.



PUKMEDIA