Delegations from Iraq’s federal government and the Kurdistan Region are scheduled to meet in Erbil on Sunday to finalize an agreement on the digitalization of customs procedures and the implementation of the Automatic System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), officials announced.

Samer Qasim Dawood, head of Iraq’s General Customs Authority and leader of Baghdad’s delegation, told Rudaw on Saturday that the meeting is expected to result in a final agreement with the Kurdistan Region. He explained that the talks will focus on procedures related to the digitalization of customs operations in the Region.

Dawood stated that the outcome of Sunday’s meeting will be submitted to the Iraqi Ministerial Council for the Economy for approval. According to him, the initiative to digitalize customs procedures was originally proposed by the council as part of broader efforts to modernize and standardize trade and border management.

The ASYCUDA electronic automation system, developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in the early 1980s, is already used at all 22 of Iraq’s federal border crossings, including major southern ports. The system is designed to streamline customs processes, improve transparency, and standardize procedures across the country.

The planned meeting comes after months of disputes between Baghdad and Erbil regarding the management of the Kurdistan Region’s border crossings.

Earlier this week, Sami Jalal, an advisor to the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior, indicated that the two sides had already reached a preliminary understanding. He said that the agreement takes into account the legal framework and administrative specificities of the Kurdistan Region.

Kurdish authorities had previously expressed concerns that the newly introduced system could restrict traders’ access to US dollars at the official exchange rate unless federal taxes were paid in advance.

According to Jalal, once the meeting in Erbil concludes, the delegations will return to Baghdad where the agreement will be formally approved and signed by the Iraqi Ministerial Council for the Economy.

He added that the Kurdistan Region’s General Directorate of Customs will be responsible for implementing the system locally once the agreement enters into force.