Erbil and Baghdad reached an agreement to implement the ASYCUDA customs system at the Kurdistan Region border crossings. Officials said the deal targets long-standing problems in customs management and improves trade procedures. They also expect it to reduce pressure on dollar flows that affect Kurdish traders.
A technical delegation from Baghdad stayed in Erbil for two days. The team met its counterparts in the Kurdistan Region to discuss implementation details. Both sides are now preparing a joint report that explains the procedures for applying the ASYCUDA system at border gates. They will submit the report later to Iraq’s Higher Economic Council for approval.
Gailan Haji Saeed, head of the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said negotiations continue. Additionally, he said that both sides work on a detailed plan for implementing the system in the Kurdistan Region. He added that officials will send the report to Baghdad once they finalize it.
He also said Erbil and Baghdad had already agreed on the main principles. Only minor technical issues remain under discussion. If the talks finish today, the delegation will return to Baghdad and present the final report to the Higher Economic Council.
Meanwhile, Nechirvan Lazgin, a member of the Kurdistan Chambers of Commerce, said the agreement could bring major economic relief. He said approval of the plan will lift restrictions on dollar access for Kurdistan Region traders. He also said traders will then receive U.S. dollars directly from the Central Bank.
The ASYCUDA system will operate under Kurdistan Region laws in a localized format. Authorities will adapt the system for local use. They will add Kurdish language support and assign secure access codes and passwords to Kurdistan Regional Government institutions.
They will also train government employees across all provinces to ensure proper system use. The implementation process will take around nine months before full operation starts.
