Iraqi Kurdistan imports about 184,000 cars in 2025, ministry says

ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan region,— Vehicle imports into Iraq’s Kurdistan Region have increased in 2025, with nearly 184,000 cars brought into the area, authorities reported.

According to Nawzad Sheikh Kamil, General Director of Commerce at the region’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, 932 licensed companies have been authorized to import vehicles this year.

Imports were handled through Erbil and Sulaimani airports and the four international border crossings at Parwizkhan, Ibrahim Khalil, Bashmakh, and Haji Omran, totaling 183,885 cars.

Kamil added that permits included 18 for heavy-duty vehicles called Rafi’a, 294 for classic cars, and 28 for motorcycles.

In 2024, he noted, the ministry issued 928 permits and imported 172,231 vehicles. He pointed out that while imports have grown, the figures do not fully capture vehicles entering through official borders that are later sent to central and southern Iraq.

Authorities require that all imported vehicles comply with regional rules, including being undamaged and not previously burned or submerged. Companies must also ensure that five percent of each type of vehicle remains in the Kurdistan Region.

Kamil also stated that vehicles from the 2024 model year are permitted for import until September 1, 2026. After that date, these models will no longer be allowed to enter the Kurdistan Region.

Traders in the Kurdistan Region imported 172,231 vehicles in 2024, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Compared with 2025, when nearly 184,000 cars were imported, this represents an increase of more than 11,000 vehicles.

The growth in imports over the past year has drawn attention from local authorities, who continue to monitor adherence to import regulations and the potential effects on traffic and environmental conditions in the region.

(With files from Agencies)