On Wednesday, the US President Donald Trump issued a new round of tariff letters to several countries, including Iraq.
The letter sent to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani said a tariff rate of 30 per cent would be imposed on Iraqi exports starting August 1 – lower than the 39 per cent tariff Mr Trump announced in April.
The US President's tariff letter was identical for all the countries, apart from the tariff rates, and contained the same warning: do not impose retaliatory measures.
“If for any reason you decide to raise your tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added on to the 30 per cent that we charge,” Mr Trump wrote in the letter, which he posted on social media.
However, Iraqi officials and economists have said the move will have little effect on the country’s economy.
Petroleum exempted
Iraq's main exports to the US are crude oil and petroleum products, with about 200,000 barrels are shipped to the US every day, generating approximately $4.5 billion annually, according to an Iraqi Oil Ministry official.
This means that Iraq “will not be affected by the new 30 per cent customs duties as crude oil is the primary Iraqi product exported to US,” Ministry of Trade spokesman Mohammed Hanon told The National.
However, Mr Trump's new tariff has prompted calls for Iraq to reorganise and regulate its trade with the US to be more direct.
Many Iraqi goods imported from or exported to the US currently pass through third-party regional dealers, Mr Hanon said. “That practice makes trade flows difficult to monitor and leaves Iraqi producers with thin margins,” he said.
Iraq's registered non-oil exports to the US in 2024 were at around $650 million, mostly of dates and amber rice – a prized fragrant and short-grained variety.
“There are many items that go first to dealers in the region, such as Dubai, where they prepare and export them to US,” Mr Mahon said, and added that the real trade volume with Washington could be as high as $10 billion.
Iraq plans to respond?
Mr Trump's tariff drive has also highlighted a structural issue : Iraq’s trade relationship with the US lacks transparency and efficiency.
Mr Hanon said Mr Al Sudani ordered in April that steps be take taken to address the problem, including encouraging American companies to open outlets for their products in Iraq or appoint local distributors to engage in direct trade.
He also called for enhanced co-operation in the banking and financial sectors, and the start of negotiations with Washington to review and improve Iraqi-US trade to be more balanced and mutually beneficial.
Worry over indirect tariff impact
Even though the new US tariffs exclude crude exports, Iraq’s economic lifeline, there is concern that they might cause oil prices to slip further in the international market.
Mr Hanon said there was anxiety over the stability of Iraq’s oil revenue, which fund the majority of government spending.
“The impact of the tariffs could be felt on global oil prices and may even lead to a relative decline,” he said.
He noted that "rising global inflationary pressures are putting pressure on oil markets and changing the rules of supply and demand, leading to a potential decline in the price of crude oil, which would impact economic growth and the state budget."
Oil exports make up more than 90 per cent of Iraq’s revenue.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The biog
Name: Capt Shadia Khasif
Position: Head of the Criminal Registration Department at Hatta police
Family: Five sons and three daughters
The first female investigator in Hatta.
Role Model: Father
She believes that there is a solution to every problem
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The%20specs
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UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The%20Kitchen
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
