According to a Monday January 11th release by USAPEEC, the Ministry of Agriculture for Iraq has placed a ban on all chicken imports. The previously mooted action is a blatant protectionist measure since the Nation is not self-sufficient in requirements. USAPEEC has requested the U.S. Embassy in Iraq and the U.S. Department of State to extend the grace period for product that has been shipped.
Over the period January through November 2020 Iraq purchased 57,233 tons of chicken parts, presumably leg quarters and low-value product, amounting to $37.4 million. Volume and value were respectively eight percent and 20 percent lower than the corresponding period in 2019. Iraq was ranked 15th among importers over the first eleven months of 2020 representing 1.7 percent of volume and 1.2 percent of value with an average unit price of $653 per metric ton, compared to the average of $995 per metric ton.