Iraq Makes Electronic Customs Document Verification Mandatory From July 10 to Curb Dollar Smuggling

Iraqi Customs made electronic verification of certificates of origin and commercial invoices through the ASYCUDA system mandatory at all border points starting July 10, 2026 (19 Tir 1405). As of that date, paper certificates or invoices that cannot be digitally verified in the system are no longer accepted, and declarations lacking electronic verification are automatically flagged, suspended, and subject to administrative fines. According to Iraqi news outlets, the move follows the discovery of schemes in which traders used falsified invoices for goods such as infant formula to obtain dollars from the Central Bank of Iraq at the official rate, then resold them on the parallel market or smuggled them abroad. The measure is part of the central bank's effort to curb the depletion of foreign currency reserves and rein in money laundering.