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Thursday, October 15, 2026English edition
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The Geopolitician

Country risk, from the local press

Iraq · Country watch

Iraq Waives Food Tariffs, Solar Talks with JICA

Iraq removes customs duties on food and medicines, while JICA discusses solar projects with Iraq's Ministry of Electricity.

· · 5 sources

The picture Improving

Business conditions in Iraq improve as the government waives customs duties on food and medicines, reducing costs for importers. Talks with JICA on solar projects signal potential growth in the renewable energy sector.

In this briefing Ali al-Zaidi · Iraq · Council of Ministers (Iraq) · Hussein Mohammed Badr · Japan International Cooperation Agency · Ministry of Electricity (Iraq) · Port of NEOM · CEVA Logistics

Regulation

  • agriculture
  • pharma
  • retail

Iraq Waives Customs Duties on Food and Medicines

The Council of Ministers headed by Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds its first session on October 28, 2022
The Council of Ministers headed by Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds its first session on October 28, 2022 Hasan mazin, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Iraq's Council of Ministers has approved a decision to exempt all imported food commodities and pharmaceutical products from customs duties, effective from October 7, 2026. This measure, ratified during the 23rd regular session chaired by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, aims to alleviate the cost of essential goods for consumers. The Prime Minister's Office noted the exemption is part of broader efforts to stabilize prices and ensure the availability of crucial supplies, according to Iraqi News and Iraq Business News.

Impact Importers of food and medicines benefit from reduced costs, potentially lowering consumer prices.

Sources: Iraqi News ↗, Iraq Business News ↗

Disruption

Nothing significant reported today.

Internal tension

Nothing significant reported today.

Safety & health

Nothing significant reported today.

Companies

  • energy

JICA Discusses Solar Energy Projects with Iraq

Iraq's Ministry of Electricity is in discussions with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to implement solar energy projects and expand clean energy use among households. The meeting, chaired by Hussein Mohammed Badr, Director General of the Planning and Studies Department, focused on strategies to increase renewable energy capacity in Iraq, as reported by Iraq Business News. JICA's involvement signals a potential boost in Iraq's renewable energy sector.

Impact Energy firms and households in Iraq may benefit from increased investment in solar energy projects.

Sources: Iraq Business News ↗

Markets

Nothing significant reported today.

Trade

  • logistics

NEOM-CEVA MoU Enhances Europe-Iraq Logistics

Saudi Arabia's Port of NEOM and CEVA Almajdouie Logistics have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore logistics solutions across the Europe-Egypt-Saudi Arabia-GCC-Iraq corridor. The collaboration aims to enhance cargo movement efficiency between international shipping routes and inland markets, according to Iraq Business News. The partnership will focus on integrating multimodal transport options to streamline logistics operations in the region.

Impact Logistics firms gain improved routes for cargo movement between Europe and Iraq, enhancing trade efficiency.

Sources: Iraq Business News ↗

Politics

Nothing significant reported today.

Also today in Iraq

Sources in this briefing

Sources: each headline links to the original article on the publisher's site.

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