Shipping from China to Basra, Iraq — Freight Guide [2026]
China → Basra · via BSR air / Umm Qasr sea · clearance by General Commission of Customs, Iraq
For buyers shipping into Basra, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Basra is southern port city adjoining the container terminal; cargo enters through BSR air / Umm Qasr sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.
The clearing authority is General Commission of Customs, Iraq. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 7–15 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.
What you will pay on arrival in Iraq
General Commission of Customs, Iraq assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Basra consignees. Current regime: Customs duty 0.5–30% plus a reconstruction levy; regional variations apply in the Kurdistan Region, with a de-minimis position of No practical de-minimis.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued pre-shipment under the Iraqi conformity programme is mandatory for most goods. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Iraq: A pre-shipment COC is mandatory for most commercial goods; cargo arriving without it faces heavy penalties. Security and route conditions affect inland delivery. Confirm which customs administration applies to the final destination.
What the routing looks like in practice
Umm Qasr is the sea gateway for federal Iraq, while the Kurdistan Region is more often served by air into Erbil or overland from Turkey and Iran. The two administrations apply customs differently, so the destination city changes the process — not just the trucking leg. A pre-shipment Certificate of Conformity is the single most important document on this lane.
| Air gateways used | BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 4–7 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Umm Qasr |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 20–30 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Basra | BSR air / Umm Qasr sea |
| Inland leg to Basra | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 7–15 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Before you book: Basra checklist
- Confirm the consignee in Basra can act as importer of record — General Commission of Customs, Iraq will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued pre-shipment under the Iraqi conformity programme is mandatory for most goods.
- Check the de-minimis position (No practical de-minimis) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Iraq duty rate against it yourself.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
Air, sea or overland into Basra?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 4–7 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 20–30 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Iraq gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Basra and 7–15 days of clearance.
Mode guides for Basra
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Basra take?
China to the Iraq gateway is 4–7 business days by air, 20–30 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 7–15 days of clearance with General Commission of Customs, Iraq and a same-day inland leg to Basra.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Basra?
General Commission of Customs, Iraq applies: Customs duty 0.5–30% plus a reconstruction levy; regional variations apply in the Kurdistan Region. The de-minimis position is No practical de-minimis. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Basra.
What documents does General Commission of Customs, Iraq require?
A commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin where it lowers duty, and any product certification (Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued pre-shipment under the Iraqi conformity programme is mandatory for most goods). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Basra?
Yes. Delivery to a Basra address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to General Commission of Customs, Iraq, and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfilment centre or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.
Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Basra?
Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Basra?
Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 20–30 calendar days by sea versus 4–7 business days by air to the Iraq gateway, before clearance and the same-day inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.
Other delivery cities in Iraq
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Iraq change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with General Commission of Customs, Iraq or your broker before you ship.
- General Commission of Customs
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
Page data last reviewed: July 2026.
Get a rate for Basra
This lane is quoted per shipment rather than from a published rate card, because the landed cost depends on the commodity, its density, the conformity requirements above and the delivery point. Send the cargo details and we will come back with a full DDP figure.