Iraq Completes First ASYCUDA Phase, Prepares Next Customs Stage
At a Glance
- Iraq’s Parliament says the first phase of the ASYCUDA customs system has been completed at the country’s border crossings.
- Preparations are underway for the second phase, with implementation expected by the end of the year.
- The project is being developed in cooperation with UN Trade and Development, or UNCTAD.
- The next phase is expected to expand electronic monitoring and risk-management capabilities at border crossings.
Iraq has completed the first phase of implementing the ASYCUDA customs system at its border crossings, according to Salwan Taha, a member of the Parliament’s Border Crossings and National Product Protection Committee.
Taha said preparations are now underway for the second phase, which is expected to be implemented by the end of the year.
KEY STATEMENTS
“The first phase of implementing the ASYCUDA system has been completed, and preparations are underway for the second phase.”
— Salwan Taha, Member of the Iraqi Parliament’s Border Crossings and National Product Protection Committee
“The second phase is expected to be implemented by the end of this year.”
Salwan Taha
“The second phase will focus on risk management and electronic monitoring.”
— Description of the planned ASYCUDA expansion
ASYCUDA CUSTOMS DIGITALIZATION
The ASYCUDA system is part of Iraq’s broader effort to modernize customs procedures and move away from manual, paper-based processing. UNCTAD says ASYCUDA is designed to automate customs clearance, improve transparency, strengthen revenue collection and facilitate cross-border trade.
SECOND PHASE
According to Taha, preparations are underway for the second phase of the system, with the target of bringing it into operation by the end of the year.
The second stage is expected to focus on more advanced customs controls, including risk management and electronic monitoring, further developing Iraq’s digital customs infrastructure.
UNCTAD’s earlier project framework describes the second phase as involving automated and harmonized customs controls, pre-arrival risk analysis, electronic data exchange and post-clearance auditing.
FYI
The expansion of ASYCUDA represents a broader shift in Iraq’s customs administration from paper-based procedures toward automated and electronically managed trade processes. The next phase will be important for determining how effectively digital risk assessment and electronic monitoring are integrated across border points, while the longer-term ASYCUDA framework also envisages a broader electronic single-window system connecting agencies involved in international trade.
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