Iraqi Ministry of Finance has started more strictly monitoring the traffic coming from the KRG Region destined to Central and Southern Iraq.

Reason is that as from the 1^st of January 2016, the import customs duties have changed from a flat rate of 5% to various applicable rates based on the commodity of the goods imported.

Iraqi Central Customs, more strictly, started enforcing the new tariff and obliging the importers to pay the difference between the duties paid in the KRG Region and the new tariff.

For the time being, the new tariff is only applied for commercial imports.

Diplomatic goods and levy exempted shipments are excluded of this procedure.

We are following up these changes and will revert with any updates.

Four new border crossings are planned to be opened between Iraq and Turkey.

Turkey and Iraq have agreed to open four new border crossing points. The planned new crossing posts are: Gülyazı, Aktepe, Ovaköy and Üzümlü. These intended crossing posts will relieve the pressure on the Habur crossing border which nowadays closes and opens depending on the daily security situation in the area. The new border crossings should be completed by 2017.