Peregraf- Iraq’s Parliamentary Finance Committee is seeking to revoke all customs exemptions after 846 billion Iraqi dinars in exemptions were granted during the first six months of 2026, as lawmakers look for ways to offset declining government revenue.
The committee hosted Samer Qasim, Director General of Iraqi Customs, on Monday to review customs revenues and measures to increase non-oil income.
Dilan Ghafur, a member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, told Peregraf that the committee will submit a proposal to parliament to suspend all customs exemptions provided under existing laws and Cabinet decisions.
"The Finance Committee is submitting a proposal to Parliament to cancel all customs exemptions," Ghafur said, describing the move as part of broader efforts to increase state revenue after Iraq’s oil income was hit by the suspension of crude exports and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the U.S.-Iran war.
According to figures presented by the Director General of Customs, Iraq granted 846 billion dinars in customs exemptions during the first half of the year. May accounted for the largest share, with 474 billion dinars in exemptions for imported goods covered by legislation and Cabinet decisions.
Ghafur said parliament aims to suspend all legal provisions and government decisions granting customs exemptions in an effort to compensate for falling oil revenues and strengthen public finances.
He added that customs revenues have risen steadily in recent years, increasing from 800 billion dinars in 2023 to 2.145 trillion dinars in 2024, before reaching 2.6 trillion dinars in 2025.