Sea Freight from China to Umm Qasr
China → Umm Qasr · via BSR air / Umm Qasr sea · clearance by General Commission of Customs, Iraq
For buyers shipping into Umm Qasr, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Umm Qasr is Iraq's only deep-water port; cargo enters through BSR air / Umm Qasr sea, and allow +1 day for the inland leg on top of clearance.
Clearance itself is handled by General Commission of Customs, Iraq, and typical dwell at the gateway runs 7–15 days.
Import duty and tax position for Umm Qasr
General Commission of Customs, Iraq assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Umm Qasr 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.
| Sea gateways used | Umm Qasr |
|---|---|
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 20–30 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Umm Qasr | BSR air / Umm Qasr sea |
| Inland leg to Umm Qasr | +1 day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 7–15 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Before you book: Umm Qasr checklist
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Check the de-minimis position (No practical de-minimis) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Confirm the consignee in Umm Qasr can act as importer of record — General Commission of Customs, Iraq will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Iraq duty rate against it yourself.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Put the Umm Qasr delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Umm Qasr take?
China to the Iraq gateway is 20–30 calendar days. On top of that, allow 7–15 days of clearance with General Commission of Customs, Iraq and a +1 day inland leg to Umm Qasr.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Umm Qasr?
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 Umm Qasr.
Which port or airport does cargo for Umm Qasr clear through?
Cargo for Umm Qasr is routed via BSR 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 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 deliver door-to-door in Umm Qasr?
Yes. Delivery to a Umm Qasr address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to General Commission of Customs, Iraq, and the +1 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 Umm Qasr?
Yes. Battery cargo by sea moves under UN3480/UN3481 with an MSDS, and the dangerous-goods documentation is prepared as part of the booking into Umm Qasr. Surcharges apply and space is more limited than for general cargo.
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 — 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 — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
Page data last reviewed: 10 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.
- 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
- Home Decor Furniture & Home Products
- Technical Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
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 Umm Qasr. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
How to Calculate CBM in Shipping | Volume vs Weight Explained | CBM Formula & Freight Cost Guide — 10 Min For Supply Chain. 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 — plus who files the entry.
Iraq clearance requirements →