Iraqi motorists rally against vehicle customs fees in Basra

Shafaq News- Basra

Motorists from Baghdad, Karbala, and Dhi Qar provinces protested outside the Southern Customs Directorate in Basra on Tuesday, demanding changes to customs fees imposed on vehicles covered by Cabinet Decision No. 102 of 2026.

Chanting "Your customs are invalid," the protesters urged the government to revise the fee structure, arguing that customs authorities were charging a flat 5 million Iraqi dinars ($3,800) regardless of a vehicle's model or market value.

A protest representative told Shafaq News the fee had placed an excessive financial burden on thousands of vehicle owners, many of whom rely on their cars for daily transportation or income, and called for duties to be calculated according to each vehicle's actual value.

The demonstrators also said the current system was less flexible than the settlement mechanism introduced in 2021 and urged Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and the Ministerial Council for the Economy to amend the regulations.

Cabinet Decision No. 102, adopted under the previous government of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, requires customs duties and taxes on unregistered vehicles to be assessed according to each vehicle's classification rather than setting a uniform fee. It also requires inspections to determine the applicable customs rates before registration.

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