Iraq seizes massive haul of goods from Kurdistan over ‘customs violations’

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s National Security Service (INSS) announced on Sunday that it had seized 51 trucks carrying hundreds of tons of goods entering Iraq via the Kurdistan Region, citing violations of customs regulations. The move comes amid growing delays in cargo movement between Baghdad and Erbil.

In a statement on Facebook, INSS said it “seized 51 vehicles transporting hundreds of tons of materials that violated customs procedures and lacked proper approvals.” The drivers of the trucks were also arrested and referred to the relevant authorities.

The confiscated cargo included food items, electronics, medical and construction materials, metal sheets, detergents, and flour, according to INSS.

The trucks were intercepted at checkpoints in Kirkuk, Diyala, and Nineveh provinces - in territories claimed by both the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The development comes amid an ongoing trade bottleneck between Erbil and Baghdad that has left thousands of trucks stalled for hours - and in some cases days - at key checkpoints between the Kurdistan Region and federal Iraq.

The delays follow a federal directive issued on March 11 requiring merchants to attach QR codes to their cargo and deliver goods to central and southern Iraq within 72 hours. This policy has notably aggravated logistical gridlock.

In early May, Baghdad and Erbil reached an agreement to alleviate the bottleneck by extending the deadline for cargo transfers and permitting goods stored since April 15 to be moved into federal areas, provided they carry customs seals. However, severe staffing shortages and sluggish inspection procedures have continued to paralyze the flow of goods.

At the Ibrahim Khalil crossing in Duhok’s Zakho district - Iraq’s main trade route with Turkey - traders reported hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses, with thousands of workers affected by the ongoing trade slowdown.

Arshad al-Salihi, a prominent Turkmen politician representing Kirkuk in the Iraqi parliament, warned in early May that the federal trade restrictions on shipments from the Kurdistan Region could lead to empty markets in Kirkuk and Mosul.

In a video message posted on his Facebook page, Salihi stated, “Traders across Iraq in general and traders of Kirkuk and Mosul in particular are caught in the crosshairs of the dispute between the [Kurdistan] Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government [of Iraq].”

“Please sideline the ordinary citizen from your conflicts as they are the ones who lose the most,” Salihi urged, addressing both Erbil and Baghdad, and stressing, “Enough disputes!”