Iraqi Parliament calls for 90-day halt to new customs tariffs

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibet Al-Halbousi on Sunday called on the government to suspend the implementation of new customs tariffs for 90 days, citing the need to reassess their impact on the local market.

In an official letter, Al-Halbousi proposed applying a reduced rate of 5% to certain goods covered by the decision. He further called for lowering customs duties on hybrid vehicles from 15% to 5%, framing the move as support for environmental protection and fuel consumption rationalization.

His remarks came as dozens of traders and shop owners staged a protest in central Baghdad today, gathering in front of the General Authority of Customs to oppose the new tariff rates. Protesters demanded the cancellation or amendment of the tariffs to reflect market conditions and purchasing power.

The Iraqi government recently raised customs duties to rates ranging between 5% and 30%, applied across multiple brackets starting at 5%, 10%, and 15%, and reaching a maximum of 30%. These rates cover the entire customs tariff schedule, which consists of 99 chapters and approximately 16,400 tariff items, in line with internationally adopted trade classifications.

Read more: Explainer: Iraq’s updated customs tariffs, legal dispute, and market impact