The government’s financial advisor: Demand for dollars to finance foreign trade is being managed normally without interruption.
The government’s financial advisor: Demand for dollars to finance foreign trade is being managed normally without interruption.
2026-04-22
The Prime Minister’s advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, confirmed on Wednesday that talk of a halt in the flow of dollars from the United States to Iraq pertains to a very limited segment, not exceeding 5%. He indicated that the demand for dollars to finance foreign trade is being managed normally without interruption. Salih told the official news agency, “There is a fundamental difference between the cash dollars allocated to travelers through airports, which has a ceiling of about $3,000 per traveler, and the financing of foreign trade, which is done through remittances and the global banking system.” He explained that “what is being circulated in some circles regarding a halt in the flow of dollars from the United States to Iraq relates to a very limited segment of the demand for dollars, not exceeding 5%, which is related to meeting the cash needs of travelers.”
He added that “this aspect was affected by purely logistical factors, most notably the limited air traffic and the closure of most airports, which led to difficulties in shipping dollars in cash via air transport, especially with the disruption or reduction of flights in the region,” noting that “this stoppage is temporary and short-term, and is related to operational conditions that do not reflect a flaw in monetary policy or in the availability of foreign currency in general.” He continued, “The largest part of the demand for dollars—estimated at about 95%—which is allocated to financing foreign trade (importing goods, services, and various benefits), is still being managed normally through official banking channels, without any significant interruption.” He pointed out that “the need for foreign currency for travelers can be covered by modern alternatives, such as electronic payment cards in foreign currency, which allow their holders to make payments and withdrawals abroad easily, thus reducing reliance on direct cash dollars.”
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