President of Sulaymaniyah Chamber of Commerce Participates in a Meeting of the Iraqi Economic Ministerial Council
On April 6, 2026, the Iraqi Economic Ministerial Council held a meeting chaired by Dr. Fuad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Head of the Iraqi Supreme Council. The meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Trade, and several other ministers of the Iraqi government. The aim was to discuss the unification of customs procedures and resolve outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government.
A high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) participated in the meeting, along with the heads of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of (Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, Duhok, and Halabja).
Nawzad Ghafour Rabati, President of the Sulaymaniyah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attended as a representative of the private sector to convey the demands and observations of merchants in Sulaymaniyah province regarding the customs system.
Key points discussed in the meeting:
· Unification of customs procedures: Agreement on unifying customs policy and tariff to protect national products and regulate customs operations at all ports of Iraq and the Region.
· Implementation of the electronic system (ASYCUDA): It was decided to form a joint technical committee between the Iraqi Ministry of Finance and the KRG Customs Directorate to implement the system, taking into account the legal characteristics of the Region.
· Gold import: The Council decided to add the “Treibel international border crossing” as a permitted port for importing gold into the country, due to the exceptional circumstances and flight ban in the area.
In conclusion, Nawzad Rabati emphasized that unifying customs procedures and facilitations will activate the market, support the private sector, and reduce obstacles facing merchants in the Kurdistan Region.