Current Freight Rates
Price data updating. Contact us for current rates.
Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP and seven more — see which costs sit with us and which sit with you
The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to Iraq is already inside the price. The table below maps the eleven common Incoterms® against the twelve cost stages of a door-to-door shipment, so you can see exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins.
- Seller — Cost and arrangement sit with the seller / shipper.
- Buyer — Cost and arrangement sit with the buyer / consignee.
- Negotiable — Not fixed by the rule — agree it in the contract.
| Term | 1 Loading on truck | 2 Export customs declaration | 3 Carriage to port of export | 4 Unloading at port of export | 5 Loading on vessel / aircraft | 6 Main carriage | 7 Cargo insurance | 8 Unloading at port of import | 9 Loading on truck at import | 10 Carriage to destination | 11 Import customs clearance | 12 Import duties & taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW Ex Works | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck | Buyer Buyer — Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FCA Free Carrier | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FAS Free Alongside Ship | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| FOB Free On Board | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Buyer Buyer — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CFR Cost and Freight | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Seller Seller — Cargo insurance | Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CPT Carriage Paid To | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Seller Seller — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU) | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import | Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DAP Delivered At Place | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance | Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes |
| DDP Delivered Duty Paid | Seller Seller — Loading on truck | Seller Seller — Export customs declaration | Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export | Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft | Seller Seller — Main carriage | Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance | Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import | Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import | Seller Seller — Carriage to destination | Seller Seller — Import customs clearance | Seller Seller — Import duties & taxes |
EXW Ex Works
Buyer takes over at the seller's door and carries every cost from there. Lowest quoted price, highest buyer workload.
FCA Free Carrier
Seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the carrier the buyer nominated.
FAS Free Alongside Ship
Sea and inland waterway only. Seller delivers alongside the vessel; loading is on the buyer.
FOB Free On Board
Sea and inland waterway only. Risk passes once the goods are on board. The most common buying term.
CFR Cost and Freight
Seller pays the main carriage but carries no insurance obligation; risk still passes on loading.
CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight
As CFR, plus the seller must buy and pay for cargo insurance (minimum cover unless you agree more).
CPT Carriage Paid To
Any mode. Seller pays carriage through to the named destination; insurance is not obligatory.
CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid
As CPT, plus the seller must insure the cargo through to the named destination.
DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU)
Seller delivers unloaded at the named terminal. Renamed DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) in Incoterms® 2020.
DAP Delivered At Place
Seller delivers to your address ready for unloading; import clearance and duty stay with the buyer.
DDP Delivered Duty Paid
Seller carries everything through to your door, duty and tax included. Highest quoted price, least buyer workload.
Two things worth flagging. Under CIF and CIP the seller is obliged to buy cargo insurance and pay the premium; under every other term insurance is optional, and we recommend buyers arrange their own cover so a loss or damage in transit is recoverable. And this table is a working summary for planning purposes — the binding definitions are the ones published by the International Chamber of Commerce in the Incoterms® rules, so confirm the exact term wording in your sales contract before you ship.
Service Details
Iraq Air Freight from China: routing and transit
Air Freight into Iraq runs through BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra). Clearance is by General Commission of Customs, Iraq and typical dwell before release is 7–15 days.
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.

Route facts
| Destination country | Iraq |
|---|---|
| Region | Middle East |
| Mode | Air Freight |
| Gateways used | BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra) |
| Transit, China to gateway | 4–7 business days |
| Clearance / dwell | 7–15 days |
| Peak season | Sep–Nov |
Delivery cities on this lane
Each city below has its own guide covering the gateway that serves it, the inland leg after clearance and the local delivery requirements.
- China to Baghdad — capital and the largest consumer market. Via BGW air / Umm Qasr sea; inland leg +2 days. Air Freight guide →
- China to Basra — southern port city adjoining the container terminal. Via BSR air / Umm Qasr sea; inland leg same day. Air Freight guide →
- China to Erbil — Kurdistan Region capital with its own customs handling. Via EBL air / Umm Qasr sea; inland leg +3 days. Air Freight guide →
- China to Sulaymaniyah — second Kurdistan Region commercial centre. Via ISU air / Umm Qasr sea; inland leg +3 days. Air Freight guide →
- China to Mosul — northern city under reconstruction demand. Via EBL air / Umm Qasr sea; inland leg +3 days. Air Freight guide →
- China to Najaf — southern religious and trading centre. Via NJF air / Umm Qasr sea; inland leg +2 days. Air Freight guide →
Every consignment on this service is measured as well as weighed. Volumetric weight is L×W×H in centimetres divided by 6000 — one cubic metre counted as roughly 166.7 kg — and whichever figure is higher is the one charged. Dense cargo pays on its weight; light bulky cargo pays on its volume, and repacking to raise density is often the cheapest saving available on a Iraq shipment.
Typical cargo on this route: computer hardware (HS 8471 / 8517), where clearance turns on cE, FCC and RED conformity; encryption declarations on network hardware, electric motors (HS 84) and amazon fba (HS mixed). If yours is on that list the commodity page is worth two minutes — it covers how the goods should leave the factory, how they should sit in the container, and the failure mode we see most often on this kind of freight.
Iraq air cargo on this service routes through BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil) and BSR (Basra). Where more than one gateway is listed the booked one depends on space on the day; the rate is the same either way, but the inland delivery leg beyond the airport is not.
Inland coverage matters more than the port rate for most consignees. We deliver to Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Baghdad, Basra and Mosul and beyond, and the guide for each sets out its arrival gateway, the inland days to add to the transit quoted here, and the documentation the local office actually asks for. You can browse all Iraq destinations we cover, 7 destinations in total.
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Additional Information
What General Commission of Customs, Iraq will ask for
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.
Conformity: Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued pre-shipment under the Iraqi conformity programme is mandatory for most goods.
Known friction points: 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.
Documents we file under DDP
- Commercial invoice showing HS codes and the true transaction value
- Packing list with carton count, gross and net weight, and dimensions
- Air waybill
- Certificate of origin where it reduces the duty rate
- Product certification or conformity documents where the commodity requires them

Packing notes
- Chargeable weight is the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000)
- Use ISPM-15 treated wood for any pallet or crate — untreated timber is a common hold
- Mark every carton with the consignee name, city and carton number of total
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders before booking, not after
Other modes into Iraq
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity rules change by ministerial decision. The figures here are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your HS code with General Commission of Customs, Iraq or your broker before shipping.
Where these numbers come from
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by General Commission of Customs, Iraq against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
On the air side, anything with a cell or a battery in it, plus liquids, powders, magnets and aerosols, is governed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Those articles are not refused outright, but they need to be declared at booking so the shipment is built correctly — declaring them late is the single most common cause of an air consignment being offloaded.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
If this is your first shipment into Iraq, the Iraq Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.
China to Iraq — Shipping Reference Data
| Main air gateways | BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra) |
|---|---|
| Destination customs authority | General Commission of Customs, Iraq |
| De-minimis / duty-free threshold | No practical de-minimis |
| Import tax & duty regime | Customs duty 0.5–30% plus a reconstruction levy; regional variations apply in the Kurdistan Region |
| Local currency | IQD |
| Typical clearance / dwell time | 7–15 days |
| Peak / busy season | Sep–Nov |
| Conformity & certification | Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued pre-shipment under the Iraqi conformity program is mandatory for most goods |
Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.
Free 3D Loading Tools for This Air Route
This page covers a Air freight service from China to Iraq. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.
3D Carton Packing Calculator
Dimensional weight often decides the final air rate to Iraq. Simulate your carton fill in 3D, including mixed products in one box, and export the packing plan for your supplier.
Open Packing Tool →Iraq Air Freight Checklist
- Label every carton with destination, carton number, and total count (e.g. 3/12).
- Book 2-3 days before your target ETD; same-day air bookings usually carry premium rates.
- Compare volumetric weight (L×W×H÷6000) with actual weight — the higher one is billed.
- Confirm whether the Iraq rate includes fuel and security surcharges or lists them separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Air DDP Door-to-Door from China to Iraq take?
Air freight on this route runs about 5–10 business days door-to-door, plus roughly 7–15 days of clearance/dwell once it reaches the gateway. All times include customs clearance under DDP terms.
What duties and taxes apply when importing into Iraq?
Clearance is handled by General Commission of Customs, Iraq. The regime is: 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. Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.
When does capacity tighten on the China–Iraq lane?
Space and rates tighten around Sep–Nov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (early Oct). Book 1–2 weeks earlier in these periods.
How is the shipping cost on this route calculated?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000, so one cubic metre counts as about 166.7 kg) and charge whichever is greater, rounded up to the next kilogram, then apply the per-KG rate shown in the table above. A 300 kg consignment measuring out to only 200 kg volumetric is still charged on the 300 kg.
What does DDP shipping to Iraq include on this route?
DDP means we quote the freight, the customs entry with General Commission of Customs, Iraq and last-mile delivery in Iraq together, so you settle once. The duty and tax portion depends on your product's HS code, declared value and the exchange rate at entry, so it is confirmed against your actual goods — the figures on this page are indicative and can move either way.
Which ports or airports does this route use into Iraq?
Sea cargo to Iraq clears through Umm Qasr; air freight clears via BGW (Baghdad), EBL (Erbil), BSR (Basra). We route through whichever gateway gives the fastest onward delivery to your address and build it into the DDP price.
Inland Delivery Coverage — Iraq
We deliver beyond the arrival gateway. Each city below has its own destination guide covering the gateway it clears through, typical inland transit time and the local customs picture.
Note — these are reference guides, not quotes. The city pages describe routing, gateways and clearance for each destination. They do not carry rate tables. For pricing to any city listed here, use the rate table on this page or ask us for a quote.
- Umm Qasr BSR air / Umm Qasr sea inland +1 day Guide only — no rates
- Baghdad BGW air / Umm Qasr sea inland +2 days Guide only — no rates
- Basra BSR air / Umm Qasr sea inland same day Guide only — no rates
- Erbil EBL air / Umm Qasr sea inland +3 days Guide only — no rates
- Sulaymaniyah ISU air / Umm Qasr sea inland +3 days Guide only — no rates
- Mosul EBL air / Umm Qasr sea inland +3 days Guide only — no rates
- Najaf NJF air / Umm Qasr sea inland +2 days Guide only — no rates
Shipping Iraq cargo by industry
This rate is for the lane. What decides whether the cargo arrives intact is the commodity — how it prices, how it must be packed and loaded, and which compliance step holds it at the border. These guides cover that per industry.
- Locks & Safes Fire, Safety & Traffic Products
- Salon Furniture Beauty, Personal Care & Wellness
- Pet Products Consumer Goods & Gifts
- Umbrellas Consumer Goods & Gifts
- Private Label Products E-commerce & Retail Channels
- Bolts Metal Products & Industrial Components
- CNC Machines General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Industrial Furnaces General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Solar Inverter New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Energy Storage System New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Building Materials Building Materials & Construction Products
- Construction Hardware Building Materials & Construction Products
