Baghdad and Erbil to unify digital customs

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

Iraq will make electronic verification of certificates of origin and commercial invoices mandatory on July 10, the General Customs Authority announced on Wednesday.

The authority stated that traders, importers, customs clearance agents, and other parties must register commercial documents with the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce so they can be verified electronically when customs declarations are filed.

The service is currently running on a trial basis, and from July 10, certificates of origin and commercial invoices will not be accepted unless they can be verified through ASYCUDA.

Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet backed an agreement between the federal and regional customs authorities to implement ASYCUDA at the Kurdistan Region’s border crossings. A senior Kurdistan Region delegation will visit Baghdad next week to follow up on the file.

The agreement aims to “unify customs procedures across Iraq, automate border transactions, increase revenue transparency, reduce bureaucracy, and facilitate trade at border crossings.”

ASYCUDA, a customs automation platform developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), has been central to Iraq’s customs digitization drive. UNCTAD reported that customs revenue at Baghdad International Airport rose by more than 215% between January and May 2024 after the system was introduced there.

The General Customs Authority announced in April that the Kurdistan Region had joined the national ASYCUDA implementation team as part of efforts to build a unified customs administration across Iraq. In March, the authority had adopted temporary measures to speed the movement of goods and reduce port congestion, citing regional conditions and the need to support supply chains.

Read more: How Iraq’s customs overhaul is reshaping trade and revenue dynamics