Shipping from China to Erbil
China โ Erbil ยท via EBL air / Umm Qasr sea ยท clearance by General Commission of Customs, Iraq
We move freight cargo from South China into Erbil through EBL air / Umm Qasr sea. Erbil is Kurdistan Region capital with its own customs handling, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
Clearance itself is handled by General Commission of Customs, Iraq, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 7โ15 days.
Duty, tax and clearance into Erbil
Imports into Iraq are cleared by General Commission of Customs, Iraq. The headline position is: Customs duty 0.5โ30% plus a reconstruction levy; regional variations apply in the Kurdistan Region. The de-minimis threshold is 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.
How this lane actually runs
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 โ 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 | 4โ7 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Umm Qasr |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 20โ30 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Erbil | EBL air / Umm Qasr sea |
| Inland leg to Erbil | +3 days from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 7โ15 days |
| Peak season to plan around | SepโNov |
Pre-shipment checklist for Erbil
- Confirm the consignee in Erbil can act as importer of record โ 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.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during SepโNov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Plan around the China-side windows too: Chinese New Year and Golden Week both compress capacity on the Iraq lane.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (LรWรH รท 6000) โ the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front โ retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
Air, sea or overland into Erbil?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| โ๏ธ Air Freight | 4โ7 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| ๐ข Sea Freight | 20โ30 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Iraq gateway and excludes the +3 days inland leg to Erbil and 7โ15 days of clearance.
Mode guides for Erbil
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Erbil take?
China to the Iraq gateway is 4โ7 business days by air, 20โ30 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 7โ15 days of clearance with General Commission of Customs, Iraq and a +3 days inland leg to Erbil.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Erbil?
General Commission of Customs, Iraq applies: Customs duty 0.5โ30% 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 Erbil.
Which port or airport does cargo for Erbil clear through?
Cargo for Erbil is routed via EBL air / Umm Qasr sea. Sea gateways for Iraq are Umm Qasr; air gateways are BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
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.
What certification do I need for Iraq?
For regulated goods, plan for: Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued pre-shipment under the Iraqi conformity program is mandatory for most goods. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Erbil?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965โ970 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.
Other delivery cities in Iraq
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 โ confirm the current position for your own HS code with General Commission of Customs, Iraq or your broker before you ship.
- General Commission of Customs
- WTO โ Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IPPC โ ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO โ Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO โ IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
Page data last reviewed: 10 ๆ 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 โ these guides cover that by commodity.
- Building Materials Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plumbing Products Building Materials & Construction Products
- Engineering Plastics Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Home Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Garden Products Furniture & Home Products
- Illuminated Signs Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Metal Products Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Storage Tanks Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Transformers New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Sanitary Ware Building Materials & Construction Products
- Cartons Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Flexible Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
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.
Classification drives everything downstream: the same carton can attract very different duty depending on the heading it lands in, and the structure those headings come from is the World Customs Organization Harmonized System. If your product sits near a boundary between two headings, resolve it before shipping rather than at the border.
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 โ documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments โ 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 Erbil. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Ocean Freight 101 - What Is LCL Ocean Freight — Flexport. 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.
Customs clearance in Iraq
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border โ plus who files the entry.
Iraq clearance requirements →