Destination guide
Shipping Heavy Equipment to Iraq
In 2025 the United States reported exporting 293 machines worth $15.4 million to Iraq in the 15 classes we track, down 15% on 2024. None of the carrier schedules we track lists a direct call in Iraq, so we confirm the routing with each quote. RoRo service: Regular from the East and Gulf Coast, limited from the West Coast.
Targeted sanctions: Targeted OFAC sanctions plus EAR licence for any item to unrecognised military end users.
The four ways to ship machinery to Iraq
Container, flat rack, RoRo and breakbulk, with where each one lands. RoRo availability is by U.S. coast; the other three are booked on the services that run when the cargo is ready.
| Method | From the U.S. | Where it lands, and conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Container | Booked on request | Container ports: Port of Umm Qasr. No schedule we track lists a direct call, so the carrier and any transshipment are confirmed at booking. |
| Flat rack | Booked on request | For machines too wide or tall for a closed box, on container lines that accept out-of-gauge cargo. Discharge at Port of Umm Qasr, subject to the terminal taking flat racks. |
| RoRo | Regular from the East and Gulf Coast, limited from the West Coast | RoRo ports: Port of Umm Qasr. Carriers call these routes on their schedules[2]; we confirm the next sailing at booking. |
| Breakbulk | Liner breakbulk or charter | For cargo too large or heavy for a flat rack, loaded by ship or shore crane. Breakbulk and heavy-lift ports: Port of Umm Qasr, Port of Basra. |
What the U.S. ships to Iraq
U.S. exports to Iraq by machine class, 2025 against 2024, as reported by the United States to UN Comtrade[1]. Units are as declared; the average is customs value divided by units.
| Machine class | Units 2025 | Units 2024 | Change in units | Value 2025 | Average per unit[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel generator sets | 19 | 28 | −32% | $5.97 million | $314 thousand |
| Wheel loaders | 144 | 194 | −26% | $4.25 million | $29.5 thousand |
| Forklifts and telehandlers | 63 | 23 | +174% | $913 thousand | $14.5 thousand |
| Wheeled tractors | 8 | 2 | +300% | $910 thousand | $114 thousand |
| Motor graders | 18 | 30 | −40% | $839 thousand | $46.6 thousand |
| Backhoes and other excavating machines | 9 | 2 | +350% | $806 thousand | $89.5 thousand |
| Excavators | 13 | 18 | −28% | $629 thousand | $48.4 thousand |
| Crawler and rough-terrain cranes | 15 | 44 | −66% | $566 thousand | $37.7 thousand |
| Crushers | 2 | 0 | – | $263 thousand | $131 thousand |
| Off-highway dump trucks | 1 | 1 | 0% | $246 thousand | $246 thousand |
| Self-propelled drill rigs | 1 | 1 | 0% | $57 thousand | $57 thousand |
| Crawler dozers | 0 | 1 | – | $0 | – |
| Truck-mounted cranes | 0 | 1 | – | $0 | – |
A dash means the quantity was not reported for that year. Classes the U.S. did not ship here in either year are left out.
Vehicles and other taxes
Iraq imports most cargo through Umm Qasr (or overland via Jordan/Turkey). Vehicle import duties apply (confirm by HS code), with reconstruction- and sector-driven demand for equipment. Newer, left-hand-drive vehicles are preferred.
Source: General Commission for Customs (Iraq), checked June 2026.
- Import duty: Customs duty / reconstruction levy (confirm by HS code)
- VAT: Sales tax on vehicles (confirm current rate)
- Other charges: Documentation and inspection charges; security/escort costs inland
U.S. export controls
Targeted sanctions. Targeted OFAC sanctions plus EAR licence for any item to unrecognised military end users.[3][4][5]
EAR §746.3(a)(4) requires a licence for any EAR item, including EAR99 excavators, if you know it is for a military end use or end user not recognised by the U.S. (Government of Iraq exempt). OFAC Iraq-Related Sanctions (EO 13438) and FTO designations of Kata'ib Hizballah, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and other militias apply. Screen consignees for militia-linked construction or front companies.
Documents for Iraq
The papers a machinery shipment to Iraq usually needs at destination. Your consignee and their customs broker confirm the list for the exact cargo.
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing List
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of Origin
- Equipment Specifications
- Import License
- Inspection Certificate
U.S. export rules
What every shipment from the U.S. has to clear before it sails, whatever the destination.
- Electronic Export Information (15 CFR 30)U.S. Census Bureau
Electronic Export Information is filed in AES for each Schedule B number worth more than $2,500 going to one consignee on one conveyance, and for every vehicle whatever its value. For vessel cargo it is due at least 24 hours before loading; the Internal Transaction Number (ITN) goes to the carrier with the booking.[6][7]
Applies to: Any Schedule B line over $2,500, and every vehicle
- Used self-propelled vehicles: 72-hour ruleU.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. regulations count self-propelled construction and agricultural machinery as vehicles. A used one must be filed in AES at least 72 hours before export, whatever its value or destination, and the ITN, the VIN or serial number and the ownership documents go to CBP at the port of export. Filing after departure is not allowed.[8][9][7]
Applies to: Used machines that drive: excavators, loaders, dozers, tractors, trucks
- ISPM 15 wood packagingIPPC, administered in the U.S. by USDA APHIS
Wood packaging and dunnage must be heat-treated to a core temperature of 56 °C for at least 30 minutes, or fumigated, and carry the IPPC mark with the US country code, the facility number and HT or MB. Marked wood can be reused; repaired or remanufactured wood must be treated and marked again.[10]
Applies to: Crates, skids, blocking and dunnage
- Export classification under the EAR (ECCN or EAR99)BIS (U.S. Department of Commerce)
An item subject to the EAR is either listed on the Commerce Control List under an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) or classified EAR99, the basket for items not listed. The ECCN’s reasons for control, read against the Commerce Country Chart, decide whether the destination needs a license. An EAR99 item rarely needs one, but no item, EAR99 included, may go to a person under a denial order or to a prohibited end use or end user without BIS authorization.[11][12][13]
Applies to: Every export of goods subject to the Export Administration Regulations
Clearance notes for Iraq
- Umm Qasr (near Basra) is the main seaport; overland via Aqaba or Turkey is common for the north.
- Confirm current duties, documentation, and security routing with an Iraqi broker.
- Documentation, valuation, and inland security make experienced local clearance essential.
Questions buyers ask
How much heavy equipment does the U.S. ship to Iraq?
U.S. exporters reported 293 machines worth $15.4 million to Iraq in 2025 across 15 machine classes, down 15% on 2024. The largest class by value was diesel generator sets, at $5.97 million. Figures are U.S. export declarations reported to UN Comtrade.
How long does shipping from the U.S. to Iraq take?
None of the carrier schedules we track lists a direct call in Iraq. Cargo moves on container lines, usually through a transshipment hub, or on a RoRo or breakbulk sailing to Port of Umm Qasr; we confirm the current routing and transit with each quote.
Can I ship machinery to Iraq by RoRo?
RoRo service: Regular from the East and Gulf Coast, limited from the West Coast. RoRo suits machines that drive or tow on board. Ports that take RoRo cargo: Port of Umm Qasr. Where RoRo does not run, machines ship on flat racks or as breakbulk.
Do U.S. export controls affect shipments to Iraq?
Targeted OFAC sanctions plus EAR licence for any item to unrecognised military end users. EAR §746.3(a)(4) requires a licence for any EAR item, including EAR99 excavators, if you know it is for a military end use or end user not recognised by the U.S. (Government of Iraq exempt). OFAC Iraq-Related Sanctions (EO 13438) and FTO designations of Kata'ib Hizballah, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and other militias apply. Screen consignees for militia-linked construction or front companies.
Which documents do I need to ship to Iraq?
A shipment to Iraq usually needs: Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Bill of Lading, Certificate of Origin, Equipment Specifications, Import License, Inspection Certificate. From the U.S., the export filing (EEI) goes in before loading, and titled machines need their title at the port 72 hours before export.
Export checklist (PDF)
A one-page checklist with the facts on this page for shipping Iraq: methods, duty, rules and documents. Give it to your customs broker.
Download the checklistSources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]World Bank WITS, UN Comtrade: exports reported by the United States, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]Höegh Autoliners, Main trade routes (Annual Report 2023), checked October 18, 2026
- [3]BIS – EAR Part 746 (incl. §§ 746.6, 746.8, 746.9, 746.3 and Supplements 2, 4, 6), checked October 2026
- [4]OFAC – Iraq-Related Sanctions, checked October 2026
- [5]U.S. Department of State – Foreign Terrorist Organizations list, checked October 2026
- [6]eCFR, 15 CFR 30.37 Miscellaneous exemptions (Foreign Trade Regulations), checked October 18, 2026
- [7]U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Regulations FAQs, checked October 18, 2026
- [8]eCFR, 19 CFR 192.1 Definitions (used self-propelled vehicles), checked October 18, 2026
- [9]U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Exporting used self-propelled vehicles, checked October 18, 2026
- [10]USDA APHIS, Export ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material, checked October 18, 2026
- [11]eCFR, 15 CFR 734.3 Items subject to the EAR (EAR99), checked October 18, 2026
- [12]eCFR, 15 CFR 738.4 Determining whether a license is required, checked October 18, 2026
- [13]eCFR, 15 CFR 732.3 Steps regarding the ten general prohibitions, checked October 18, 2026
Send us the machine and the destination
Give us the model or the measured dimensions and weight. We come back with the method, the sailing and a price, and the figures behind them.