Kurdistan
A high-level meeting takes place between the Iraqi Ministry of Finance and the Kurdistan Region's delegation on April 8, 2026. Photo: Ministry of Finance
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Erbil and Baghdad have reached a new agreement to implement the Automatic System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) across the Kurdistan Region's border crossings, in a move aimed at unifying procedures while preserving the Region’s legal framework, officials said on Wednesday.
Sami Jalal, an advisor to the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior, confirmed to Rudaw that delegations from the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) finalized the agreement earlier in the day, stressing that “according to the agreement, all laws and special characteristics of the Kurdistan Region will be respected.”
“In the implementation of the system, all laws and specificities of the Kurdistan Region have been taken into account,” he added.
The move follows months of disputes between Baghdad and Erbil over control of the Region’s border crossings. The Kurdish authorities said that the newly-introduced system restricted Kurdish traders’ access to official-rate US dollars unless they paid federal taxes in advance.
The electronic automation ASYCUDA system was developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in the early 1980s and now covers all 22 of Iraq’s federal border crossings, including key ports in southern Iraq.
Jalal said further steps are already scheduled, noting that a joint meeting will take place in Erbil on Sunday, followed by a return to Baghdad where the final agreement will be signed at the Iraqi economic council. He also explained that the general directorate of customs in the Kurdistan Region will oversee the system’s operations on the Region’s side.
The Iraqi Ministry of Finance confirmed the deal in a statement, saying it was reached under the supervision of Finance Minister Taif Sami and focuses on unifying customs procedures and introducing the ASYCUDA system nationwide. The ministry added that the Kurdish language will be incorporated into the platform.
During a high-level meeting held on Wednesday, officials and technical experts, including representatives from UNCTAD, agreed to “form a specific ASYCUDA team for the Kurdistan Region to become part of the Unified National Team,” according to the statement, while also stressing the need to complete system requirements and clearly define responsibilities.
Taif Sami further directed that “the Kurdish language must be included in the system and approved for forms during actual implementation, similar to the Arabic and English languages, to ensure ease of use,” the ministry said.
The agreement also includes a comprehensive training program led by a federal team to prepare Kurdistan Region staff, aiming to strengthen technical capacity and standardize customs management across border crossings.
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