Baghdad and Erbil discuss unifying customs and generalizing the “ASYCUDA” system
Baghdad and Erbil discuss unifying customs and generalizing the “ASYCUDA” system
2026-04-28
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Tuesday, the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government discussed unifying customs procedures and regulating the work of border crossings throughout Iraq, during an expanded meeting hosted by the Border Ports Authority in Baghdad.
The authority said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that representatives of specialized bodies from both sides participated in the meeting, and discussed mechanisms for unifying customs tariffs and implementing the electronic ASYCUDA system at all border crossings, with the aim of facilitating the movement of goods and unifying administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the meeting also addressed customs exemptions, lists of prohibitions and restrictions, standardization and quality control procedures, radiation testing, compliance with the agricultural calendar, as well as addressing unofficial outlets and unifying tax procedures.
According to the statement, the head of the Border Ports Authority, Omar Adnan Al-Waeli, stressed the importance of discussing the issues raised in a positive spirit, while giving priority to facilitating trade between the region and the governorates and meeting the needs of citizens.
He added that standardizing procedures would reduce the burden on drivers and traders, which would reflect positively on the smooth flow of trade and economic stability.
The statement indicated that the meeting comes as part of a series of meetings aimed at unifying customs policy and enhancing economic coordination between Baghdad and Erbil, in light of efforts to reduce trade complexities and raise the efficiency of border crossing management in the country.
The ASYCUDA system is an electronic platform developed by the United Nations through the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to manage customs operations and automate import, export and transit procedures, thereby speeding up clearance, enhancing transparency and increasing collection efficiency.
In Iraq, the government has adopted in recent years the expansion of the system’s application within border crossings, as part of the process of digitizing customs work and reducing paper transactions, with an official direction to generalize it in all crossings and unify procedures between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region.
The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, confirmed the region’s approval of the implementation of the ASYCUDA electronic customs system, denying any objection, but he requested a technical grace period (about 9 months) to prepare the infrastructure.
shafaq.com
