Khaberni - The Iraqi Ministry of Planning announced the implementation of the Iraqi car standard at the beginning of the next year 2026, indicating that the new specifications include all cars regardless of their type or country of origin.
Fayad Mohammed Abd, head of the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control affiliated with the ministry, said, "The application of the Iraqi car standard will begin by activating the marking provision on January 1, 2026, as all importers, manufacturers, and producers have been notified, and now everything related to this matter is available on the platform."
He added: "We have several databases that include the new Iraqi car specifications, known as the technical requirement number (167), as the cars were manufactured to adapt to the special requirements of the Iraqi climates," pointing out that "these specifications focus on aspects of energy and safety to ensure the entry of safe cars into Iraq."
He continued, "This does not concern a specific type of cars like (Saibah) or others, but includes all cars entering Iraq, as they must meet the requirements of the Iraqi specifications, regardless of the country of origin or type of car."
He explained that "Iraq does not allow the entry of used cars that have been exposed to accidents or severe damage such as burned or submerged cars that have been exposed to floods or water or any type of severe damage, and such cars are not allowed to enter at all," confirming that "new cars must comply with the Iraqi specifications, regardless of their type, color, or country of manufacture."
He noted that "after the date 1/1/2026, there will be specific and clear procedures in this regard, whereas before this date, the cars that entered through the Central Organization passed through official ports, and if there were other unofficial ports, that is not our responsibility."
He clarified that "when a trader announces his desire to bring a thousand cars into Iraq, his data is entered into a special system, and the Central Organization is informed of this through the vehicles division, where these cars are tracked and their source and the border port they entered through are identified," explaining that "the organization only deals with the official ports where we have accurate databases, and after conducting an inspection and verifying the car's compliance with the Iraqi specifications, based on that, the car is released to the Iraqi market."
He pointed out that "starting from 1/1/2026, the marking provision will be applied to all cars entering Iraq, where inspection locations have been determined and companies, importers, and producers have been informed that these cars are special for Iraq and must be manufactured according to the Iraqi specifications approved by the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control," confirming that "these specifications do not put discretion, but there are multiple departments with the Central Organization in setting these specifications."
