After dealing with more than 20 years of conflict and ongoing sanctions, Iraq is facing some serious economic challenges. These challenges come from limited trade and tight restrictions on what they can import and export. Even now, it’s not easy to bring dual-use tech shipments into Iraq – there are tricky restrictions around second-hand goods, special import permits are required, and anything from Israel is a complete no-go. Due to a complete embargo against Israel, Iraqi customs will reject all goods and shipments that originate from Israel.
Bordering with Jordan and Saudi Arabia, Iraq a predominantly Arab and Kurdish-speaking population, language barriers may also pose a problem for importers, and a local representative and an Importer of Record (IOR) are needed to ensure that all Iraqi shipments remain compliant and above board.
Despite these factors, the local economy is slowly picking up, and the Free Zones Law provides certain customs exemptions to projects established in one of the four free zones in Iraq. However, you will still need a local representative and IOR to clear customs and remain compliant.
