Middle East

Shipping from China to Basra

China → Basra · via BSR air / Umm Qasr sea · clearance by General Commission of Customs, Iraq

Cargo handling on the China–Basra lane.

For buyers shipping into Basra, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Basra is southern port city adjoining the container terminal; cargo enters through BSR air / Umm Qasr sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.

The clearing authority is General Commission of Customs, Iraq. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 7–15 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.

What you will pay on arrival in Iraq

General Commission of Customs, Iraq assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Basra consignees. Current regime: Customs duty 0.5–30% plus a reconstruction levy; regional variations apply in the Kurdistan Region, with a de-minimis position of No practical de-minimis.

Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued pre-shipment under the Iraqi conformity program is mandatory for most goods. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.

Restrictions and known friction points for Iraq: A pre-shipment COC is mandatory for most commercial goods; cargo arriving without it faces heavy penalties. Security and route conditions affect inland delivery. Confirm which customs administration applies to the final destination.

What the routing looks like in practice

Umm Qasr is the sea gateway for federal Iraq, while the Kurdistan Region is more often served by air into Erbil or overland from Turkey and Iran. The two administrations apply customs differently, so the destination city changes the process — not just the trucking leg. A pre-shipment Certificate of Conformity is the single most important document on this lane.

Air gateways used	BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra)
Air transit, China to gateway	4–7 business days
Sea gateways used	Umm Qasr
Sea transit, China to gateway	20–30 calendar days
Gateway serving Basra	BSR air / Umm Qasr sea
Inland leg to Basra	Same day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell	7–15 days
Peak season to plan around	Sep–Nov

Air cargo build-up used on the China to Basra (Iraq) freight lane — Handling on the BSR air / Umm Qasr sea routing serving Basra.

Before you book: Basra checklist

Confirm the consignee in Basra can act as importer of record — General Commission of Customs, Iraq will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
Get the conformity paperwork moving early: Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued pre-shipment under the Iraqi conformity program is mandatory for most goods.
Check the de-minimis position (No practical de-minimis) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Iraq duty rate against it yourself.
Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.

Air, sea or overland into Basra?

Mode	Transit to gateway	Best suited to
✈️ Air Freight	4–7 business days	time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo
🚢 Sea Freight	20–30 calendar days	volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed

Transit shown is China departure to the Iraq gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Basra and 7–15 days of clearance.

Mode guides for Basra

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Basra take?

China to the Iraq gateway is 4–7 business days by air, 20–30 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 7–15 days of clearance with General Commission of Customs, Iraq and a same-day inland leg to Basra.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Basra?

General Commission of Customs, Iraq applies: Customs duty 0.5–30% plus a reconstruction levy; regional variations apply in the Kurdistan Region. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Basra.

What documents does General Commission of Customs, Iraq require?

A commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin where it lowers duty, and any product certification (Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued pre-shipment under the Iraqi conformity program is mandatory for most goods). We prepare and file these as part of the service.

Can you deliver door-to-door in Basra?

Yes. Delivery to a Basra address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to General Commission of Customs, Iraq, and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.

Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Basra?

Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.

Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Basra?

Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 20–30 calendar days by sea versus 4–7 business days by air to the Iraq gateway, before clearance and the same-day inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.

Other delivery cities in Iraq

All Iraq freight information →

References & official sources

Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Iraq change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with General Commission of Customs, Iraq or your broker before you ship.

Page data last reviewed: 8 月 2026.

Shipping by industry

This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.

All 139 industry guides →

Checking the Iraq duty position yourself

Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by General Commission of Customs, Iraq against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.

Most landed-cost surprises trace back to classification rather than freight. the WCO Harmonized System defines the heading structure every customs administration builds on, and ITC Market Access Map will show you the duty a given heading attracts in this destination.

For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.

For a wider view of how importing into Iraq actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Iraq customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.

Watch: the process behind this route

This guide covers routing and clearance for Basra. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.

Marine Insurance Explained - Understand the Cargo Insurance You're Getting — ABTS®. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.

Get a rate for Basra

This lane is quoted per shipment rather than from a published rate card, because the landed cost depends on the commodity, its density, the conformity requirements above and the delivery point. Send the cargo details and we will come back with a full DDP figure.

Request a quote → See the Iraq route page →

Customs clearance in Iraq

Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.

Iraq clearance requirements →