On April 27, 2025, Akram Massoud, a representative of the Chinese trading company Hanzhou, highlighted the primary ports through which goods are imported into Kurdistan. According to Massoud, Kurdish traders predominantly rely on three key ports: Bandar Abbas, Umm Qasr, and Mersin.
Massoud explained that approximately 80 to 85 percent of goods imported from China enter Kurdistan via Umm Qasr. This preference is attributed to lower transportation costs and the faster arrival of shipments. In contrast, only 1 to 2 percent of imports transit through the port of Mersin, largely due to higher shipping fees and stringent customs inspections at the Ibrahim Khalil crossing.
Meanwhile, about 10 to 15 percent of imports arrive through Bandar Abbas, particularly items such as children’s toys and bicycles. It was also reported that a portion of goods belonging to Kurdish traders was destroyed in an explosion that occurred the previous day.