Protests against customs fees held near Iraq’s Judicial Council in Baghdad
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Traders and shop owners from several Iraqi provinces staged a new protest on Tuesday near the Supreme Judicial Council building in Baghdad, coinciding with a court session reviewing a lawsuit related to customs fees and related procedures.
According to Shafaq News correspondent, the protesters raised banners saying the measures have placed heavy pressure on the commercial sector, driven up prices, and weakened activity in local markets, causing losses for both traders and consumers.
Traders also took to the streets in several Iraqi provinces in the last week, including Dhi Qar, Basra, and Karbala, calling on authorities to review the measures and open dialogue to prevent further escalation.
Read more: Iraq’s updated customs tariffs, legal dispute, and market impact
On Monday, the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce and the Baghdad Chamber of Commerce announced the closure of their offices until further notice in protest against the recent increase in customs tariffs and in solidarity with traders.
The Iraqi government recently raised customs duties at rates ranging from 5% to 30%, applied across multiple brackets starting at 5%, 10%, and 15%, up to a maximum of 30%. The increases cover the full customs tariff schedule, which consists of 99 chapters and around 16,400 tariff items used globally in international trade.
Read more: How Iraq’s customs overhaul is reshaping trade and revenue dynamics
