A senior delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is visiting Baghdad today to discuss the remaining issues between both sides regarding the ASYCUDA customs system, while several ministries are set to meet with the KRG Minister of Finance to review the disputes.

Rizgar Hamakhidir, an advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture, confirmed to Channel8 that today’s meeting at the Ministry of Finance includes key representatives from the ministries of Agriculture, Finance, Trade, Interior, and Planning, alongside top officials from the Board of Investment, Trade Monitoring, and the General Directorate of Customs.

Erbil-Baghdad Disputes Over Customs Revenue Control 

Channel8 has learned that the Ministry of Finance meeting will address all disputed points, chief among them being the issue of customs duties between Erbil and Baghdad.

Erbil maintains that as a federal entity, it holds the authority to collect customs duties at its own border crossings via an electronic tracking system, after which it would remit 50% of monthly non-oil revenues to the federal government; conversely, Baghdad demands centralized collection of all customs revenues before returning a 50% share to the Kurdistan Region.

Joint minutes were signed on June 18 during a high-level meeting between the KRG delegation and Iraqi authorities, and the Kurdistan Region's Council of Ministers later directed its ministries to coordinate with federal counterparts ahead of the final agreement's approval by the Ministerial Council for Economy.

Agriculture Ministry Seeks Import Restrictions in ASYCUDA Talks 

Advisor Hamakhadir noted that the Ministry of Agriculture aims to integrate its agricultural calendar into the ASYCUDA system to protect local farmers by restricting foreign imports during peak domestic harvest seasons, while securing permanent customs exemptions for essential imported goods.

He confirmed that the delegation will hold bilateral talks with the federal Ministry of Agriculture to secure an agreement, noting that all participating regional ministries, boards, and directorates are scheduled to engage their respective federal counterparts.

KRG Delegation Heads to Baghdad Amid Deadline Doubts 

Information obtained by Channel8 reveals that following the conclusion of the meeting between the KRG finance minister and officials, the senior delegation will depart for Baghdad, and discussions will be held on Monday to reach an agreement on the ASYCUDA system.

The delegation includes Dr. Omed Sabah, Head of the Diwan of the Council of Ministers; Amanj Rahim, Secretary of the Council of Ministers; Dr. Abdulkarim Khusraw, Head of the Department of Coordination and Follow-up; Kamal Rauf, Director General of Customs; and Sami Jalal, from the negotiating team for border crossings.

Channel8 earlier reported that despite official claims of progress in the Erbil-Baghdad customs talks, deep-seated disagreements make it unlikely that the Kurdistan Region will implement the ASYCUDA system by Iraq's August deadline.