Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court, the country’s highest judicial authority, has scheduled February 11 to rule on a legal challenge to the caretaker government’s decision to raise customs tariffs, lawmaker Mohammed Al-Khafaji said on Sunday.

The tariff increase ranges from 5% to 30%, applied in several tiers beginning at 5%, 10%, and 15%, and reaching a ceiling of 30%. The measures apply to the entire customs tariff schedule, covering 99 chapters and about 16,400 tariff items used in international trade. The decision has sparked protests in several provinces, including Baghdad and Basra, where demonstrators shut markets and called for the cancellation or revision of the schedule to better reflect market conditions.

Read more: Explainer: Iraq’s updated customs tariffs, legal dispute, and market impact

Speaking to Shafaq News, State of Law Coalition MP Ibtisam Al-Hilali urged the Presidency of Parliament to include taxes and customs on the agenda of Monday’s session and allocate time to examine the economic impact of the measures and the ongoing strike by shop owners. She also proposed convening a special session dedicated to the issue.

Read more: How Iraq’s customs overhaul is reshaping trade and revenue dynamics