Protests spread across Iraq as markets shut over new tariffs

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Basra

Protests and market shutdowns spread across multiple
Iraqi provinces on Sunday as traders and food distributors pushed back against
new government measures that they argue are squeezing incomes and disrupting
livelihoods.

In Baghdad, dozens of traders gathered outside the
General Customs Authority headquarters on Al-Nidhal Street to protest the newly
imposed customs tariff that has sharply increased import costs, with markets
across the capital shuttered. “The new tariff has directly raised the cost of
basic goods and slowed sales,” trader Salem Mohammed told Shafaq News, warning
that continued implementation could lead to widespread market stagnation and
further shop closures.

The protests later spread south to Basra, where a
broad shutdown hit Al-Ashar market, one of the province’s main commercial hubs.
Higher customs fees had caused goods to pile up at Umm Qasr port, delaying
supply chains and amplifying financial pressure on importers, which “inflicted
heavy losses on traders and disrupted the flow of goods into local markets,”
protest representative Alaa Ahmed told our agency.

Across all provinces where demonstrations were held,
protesters called on authorities to review the measures and open dialogue to
prevent further escalation. Still, the government has yet to announce any plans
to roll back or suspend the tariff measures.

Under Cabinet Decision No. 957 of 2025, the government
elected to raise customs tariffs on imported goods as part of efforts to boost
non-oil revenues. The decision broadened duties on a wide range of products and
tightened enforcement at border crossings, prompting the initial eruption of
protests in Baghdad.

Read more: Delayed reform or fiscal shock? Iraq’s tax measures test state capacity