Kurdistan Region to ban 2022 car imports in new regulatory move

Shafaq News/ The import of 2022 model cars will be banned in the Kurdistan Region (KRI), starting in December 2024, the Director General of Trade, Nawzad Sheikh Kamil, announced on Friday.

"The Region will allow the import of 2025 model cars after this date, while imports of 2023 and 2024 models will continue without any changes," Kamil stated, at a time when the KRI is witnessing an influx of thousands of old cars, some described as "junk and unfit for use."

For years, the Kurdistan Region has seen a significant increase in the import of used cars, some of which do not meet modern safety and environmental standards, leading to major traffic congestion and an increase in environmental pollution.

Despite this, there has been a gap in regulatory decisions regarding vehicle imports, making this new step part of the government's efforts to regulate the car sector and limit the import of old vehicles.