Iraq COC certificate for goods from China in 2026: steps, documents and the Iraqi Quality Mark

To get an Iraq COC certificate for goods from China, you apply to an approved inspection body under the ICIGI programme. It inspects the goods in China, reviews your documents, tests the product where needed and issues the Certificate of Conformity before shipment. Without it, Iraqi customs reject the shipment, and electrical products also need the Iraqi Quality Mark with a QR code.

Why do you need the certificate before the goods leave China?

China is one of the largest suppliers to the Iraqi market. According to Iraq's Ministry of Trade, Directorate of External Economic Relations, Iraq imported about USD 17.02 billion from China in 2025, up 7.5% from USD 16 billion in 2024, while Iraqi exports to China reached USD 33.09 billion, figures reported in May 2026. That volume means Iraqi customs handle a large number of Chinese shipments, and a shipment that arrives with incomplete papers is held or rejected.

The programme that governs these shipments is the Pre-Import Inspection, Testing and Certification Program of Goods into the Republic of Iraq, known as ICIGI. The Certificate of Conformity (COC) is issued under it within the framework of COSQC, the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, which sits under the Ministry of Planning. COSQC does not issue the certificate to you directly. Approved inspection bodies do, including Bureau Veritas, TÜV Rheinland (authorised from 1 March 2025), Applus and HQTS. The rule is clear: shipments containing non-complying products are rejected by Iraqi customs.

The commercial logic is simple. Fixing a problem at the factory in Shenzhen or Ningbo costs you a day or two of work. Fixing it after the container reaches the Iraqi border means storage charges, demurrage and possibly sending the whole consignment back.

Which products fall under the programme, and what are the local requirements?

The programme covers broad categories, including chemicals, construction materials, cosmetics, electrical and electronic products, food, household and detergent products, household hardware, textiles, toys, automotive-related products and others. If your product falls into one of these categories, assume it needs a certificate until the approved body confirms otherwise in writing.

Electrical goods have specific local requirements: 230 V with a tolerance of 10% either way, 50 Hz, and labels in Arabic, with English optional. Many Chinese factories prepare labels in English and Chinese only, so write the Arabic label requirement into your purchase contract rather than relying on a verbal agreement.

The standards themselves change. COSQC updated its list of applicable product standards with effect from 17 June 2025, including IQS 5264-1:2024 for smooth steel reinforcing bars, IQS 2245:2024 for sugar and IQS 15:2024 for olive oil, according to a notice TÜV Rheinland published on 1 June 2025. So ask the approved body which standard currently applies to your product before the factory starts production, not after.

The Iraqi Quality Mark for electrical products

The Ministerial Council for Economy issued decision No. 230339 Q in December 2023, requiring the Iraqi Quality Mark from 1 July 2024 for storage electric water heaters, electric room heaters, refrigeration appliances, household air conditioners, electric ovens and cigarettes. COSQC then extended the requirement to all remaining electrical products, with a grace period that ended on 15 September 2025, based on the shipment's date of arrival. After that date, electrical shipments that do not meet the Q mark scheme, meaning the mark itself plus a QR code or barcode, are rejected at destination, according to Bureau Veritas VeriGates and Shafaq News on 23 July 2025. In practice, a COC alone is not enough for a shipment of electrical goods.

Kurdistan Region: separate monitoring for vehicles and machinery

If your destination is Erbil or another city in the Kurdistan Region and you import new or used vehicles or agricultural or construction machinery, the shipment must arrive with a certificate of conformity. Monitoring is carried out by the Kurdistan Ministry of Interior together with an appointed company, and non-complying vehicles and machinery are rejected, according to Bureau Veritas VeriGates. Ask the approved body directly whether your shipment falls under this route before you sign with the factory.

Why does getting the paperwork right matter more with the 2026 route change?

Since 28 February 2026, commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked, and on 1 June 2026 the vessel MSC Sariska V was struck at Umm Qasr. Jordan's port of Aqaba has become Iraq's main supply route, followed by an overland leg into the country. Aqaba's port operator said it handled 100,000 tons of vegetable oil bound for Iraq in the 60 days to late May 2026, according to Channel8 on 31 May 2026.

A longer route means higher cost and more time. If your shipment is rejected at the Iraqi border after a sea voyage to Aqaba and a road journey across Jordan, the loss is far larger than it was when goods arrived directly at Basra. Route conditions keep changing, so check with your forwarder before every booking. We explained the effect of the Hormuz closure on Gulf importers in importing from China via Jeddah port and the 2026 Hormuz crisis.

How do you get an Iraq COC certificate for goods from China, step by step?

These are the typical steps as set out in TÜV Rheinland's ICIGI brochure, with what you need to do at each stage:

1. Application: fill in and sign the application form with an approved inspection body, listing the products, models, quantities and the address of the factory or warehouse in China.
2. Inspection: the inspector visits the goods and inspects them, so schedule the inspection after production and packing are complete, not before, so the inspector sees the shipment as it will ship.
3. Document review: the body reviews the invoice, packing list and test reports and compares them with what the inspector found on site.
4. Testing if applicable: if you have no valid test report for your product, samples go to an accredited laboratory.
5. COC issued: once inspection, review and any testing are complete, the COC is issued for the shipment.
6. Shipment verification at the border: Iraqi authorities check on arrival that the shipment matches the certificate.
7. Release: customs release the goods if everything matches.

We do not quote fees, validity periods or processing days here, because they vary by body and by product. Ask the approved body for a written quote and timeline before you book freight.

Which documents do you need? A checklist

The following checklist covers the documents usually required for the certificate file, so gather all of them before the inspection date:

• Application form signed by the applicant.
• Undertaking letter from the exporter, meaning the Chinese factory or supplier.
• Commercial invoice or shipping invoice.
• Packing list with quantities, weights and number of packages.
• Product data sheet with technical specifications.
• Test reports that apply to the product and to the current Iraqi standard.
• For electrical goods: evidence of 230 V and 50 Hz, the Arabic label and the arrangements for the Iraqi Quality Mark with a QR code or barcode.

For a wider list covering the pre-contract stage and post-arrival, see our compliance checklist.

Who issues the certificate, and what inspection options do you have?

Not every shipment needs the same route. Here is a comparison of the main options, what each involves and when it fits:

• Pre-shipment inspection with a COC from an approved body such as Bureau Veritas, TÜV Rheinland, Applus or HQTS: the core route for most goods under the programme. It fits when you hold valid test reports and the goods are ready. Cost and time are set by the body, so ask for a written quote.
• Testing in an accredited laboratory: fits when the factory has no test report for your product, or the report is old or does not cover the Iraqi standard. It adds a stage and time before issue, so start it during production, not after.
• Iraqi Quality Mark certification for electrical products: mandatory for all electrical products arriving after 15 September 2025. It comes in addition to the COC, not instead of it, and requires the mark and a QR code or barcode on the product before shipment.

When comparing approved bodies, ask whether they have inspectors near your factory in China, as this shortens the wait for an inspection slot.

What are the common mistakes that get a shipment rejected?

• Shipping the goods before the certificate is issued, hoping to obtain it later.
• Relying on an old test report, or one issued for a different model of the product.
• Leaving out the Arabic label, or marking 110 V and 60 Hz on appliances destined for Iraq.
• Assuming a COC is enough for electrical goods without the Iraqi Quality Mark and QR code.
• Mismatched quantities or descriptions between the invoice, the packing list and what the inspector found.
• Ignoring the separate Kurdistan Region route when importing vehicles and machinery.
• Booking freight via Aqaba before the documents are complete, then paying storage while you wait.

To reduce these risks in your contracts and payment schedule, read risk management strategies when importing from China.

What should you do next?

• Identify the category of every product in your order, and ask an approved inspection body for the current Iraqi standard and a written quote and timeline.
• Ask the factory for test reports and the Arabic label, and for electrical goods the Iraqi Quality Mark arrangements, before you pay the second instalment.
• Agree the route with your forwarder, whether via Aqaba or otherwise, and do not book until the inspection date and certificate issue date are fixed.

If you would like us to handle the factory inspection, prepare the documents and coordinate with the approved body until the certificate is issued, see HiGreenPanda's quality inspection service.