Kurdistan Region says ASYCUDA customs system is slowing trade

ERBIL, Iraq — The head of the Kurdistan Region's General Directorate of Trade said trade activity in the region has fallen noticeably this year, citing the ASYCUDA customs automation system and regional crises as the main causes. Nuzad Sheikh Kamil told a press conference in Erbil that the new customs system has directly slowed the flow of goods and that import permits have declined compared with previous years. According to figures he presented, 155 commercial export permits were issued in the first half of 2026. Under private imports, 333 permits were issued for 352,000 non-classic and 62 classic vehicles, while general commercial import permits totaled 1,038. On wheat purchases, Kamil said deliveries that began in May had reached 277,000 tons of a planned 400,000 tons. Of that amount, 96,000 tons were recorded in Duhok, 94,000 tons in Erbil and the Guîr district, and 86,000 tons in Sulaymaniyah. He added that a fourth flour ration distribution is under way, with a fifth flour and fourth food ration distribution set to begin next week, and that ration cards continue to be updated for newborns and departures. The directorate carried out 24,746 inspections during the six-month period and seized 111 tons of expired food products, Kamil said, noting that wheat delivery figures across the region continue to be updated.