Importing from China to Iraq: Certificate of Conformity Guide

Buyers in Iraq who order production lines, machines or spare parts from China run into the same question at the border: does this shipment have a Certificate of Conformity? This guide explains when the certificate is needed, who issues it, which documents to prepare and how the Release Note fits in. The rules are set by COSQC, Iraq's Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, and they change, so check the current requirements with an appointed body or COSQC before you order.

What is the Iraqi Certificate of Conformity?

It is a document issued before export confirming that a consignment of regulated goods meets Iraqi requirements. It can only be issued by a conformity assessment body appointed by COSQC.

HQTS, an inspection company that offers Iraq CoC services, wrote in 2020 that the requirement applied from January 2020 to over 1,000 products across twelve categories. Iraq Business News reported in August 2024 that COSQC appointed Intertek as a conformity assessment body under the Iraqi Conformity Assessment Programme, with requests accepted from 21 July 2024 and certificates issued from 1 August 2024.

Does my machine need one?

Not always. Applus+, another COSQC-appointed body, describes the requirement as applying to consignments of regulated goods. Whether a product is regulated is checked by product type and HS code.

So the first step is practical: before you confirm the order, send the HS code and a product description to an appointed body and ask whether it is regulated. For a complete production line, ask for each main machine and for the spare parts, because they can fall under different codes.

Who issues it, and how does the process work?

Applus+ describes four steps:

Intertek's appointment notice says the programme covers documentation review, product testing and consignment inspection, both in the country of origin and in Iraq, and that exporters must present a Certificate of Conformity and a Release Note to Iraqi Customs.

Which documents should the Chinese supplier prepare?

Combining what Applus+ and HQTS list:

• Request for Certification (RFC) form
• Commercial invoice and packing list
• HS codes for every item
• Test reports, from an ISO 17025 laboratory where applicable
• Exporter's statement and quality certificates
• Letter of credit, if the deal uses one

For machinery, add what makes the inspection easier: the nameplate data (voltage, frequency, power), the model numbers exactly as on the invoice, photos of the machine and a manual. If the invoice says one model and the nameplate says another, the consignment will not match the certified data at the border.

What if a shipment arrives without a certificate?

Applus+ says the certificate is needed to avoid delays in clearing the goods or penalties, including possible return of the shipment. For a production line, a returned container means paying freight twice and waiting months for the machine, while the site and the workers sit idle.

The safer order of work is simple. Check the HS codes first, agree in the contract who is responsible for the certificate, and make the inspection a condition of loading. If the supplier says a certificate is "not needed", ask for that answer in writing from the conformity assessment body, not from the factory's sales team.

How long does it take, and where are the delays?

HQTS states that its own document review takes 1 to 2 working days after submission and that it completes certification within 5 working days. Those are one body's figures from 2020; ask the body you use for its current timing.

In machinery orders the certificate itself is rarely the slow part. The delays come from three places:

• The inspection date. The goods must be ready and accessible at the factory when the inspector comes. A line that is still being assembled, or already crated without access to the nameplates, cannot be inspected properly.
• Missing test reports. If a regulated item needs a test report and the supplier has none, testing has to be arranged before the certificate can be issued. Ask for existing reports when you request the quotation.
• Changes after inspection. If parts are swapped or quantities change after the inspection, the shipment no longer matches the certified data. Freeze the packing list before the inspector visits.

This is the same discipline as any pre-shipment inspection of machinery: inspect the finished goods, then load exactly what was inspected.

A checklist for buyers in Iraq

1. Ask an appointed body whether your HS codes are regulated, before you sign.
2. Write into the contract who arranges and pays for the Certificate of Conformity.
3. Make sure the machine's voltage and frequency suit your site (see power machinery and electrical).
4. Agree the inspection date with the supplier early, so it does not delay loading.
5. Check that invoice, packing list and nameplates show the same models and quantities.
6. Keep one set of all documents for the border, where the Release Note is issued against the certified data.
7. Decide the Incoterm and who pays if the shipment is held (see FOB, CIF, EXW and DDP for machinery).

Worked example: truck spare parts and a block machine to Basra

A contractor in Iraq orders a block making machine and a batch of truck spare parts in one container. The block machine and the spare parts have different HS codes, so the buyer asks the conformity body about each one before the order is confirmed. The spare parts are checked part number by part number against the invoice, because a substituted part with a different number would no longer match the certificate. Our guide to ordering Chinese truck spare parts explains how to keep part numbers consistent. The block machine is inspected fully assembled, with its nameplate visible and its mould sizes listed on the packing list, and only then crated. Mixing machines and parts in one container is common and saves freight, but it means every line on the invoice has to survive the inspector's comparison.

How We-World helps buyers in Iraq

We-World is a sourcing and export company in China serving the Middle East and North Africa. We work in Arabic, English and Chinese. For Iraqi buyers we shortlist manufacturers, confirm specifications in writing, check goods before shipment and arrange shipping and export documents, and we check that the supplier's documents match what the conformity assessment body certifies.

Next step

Tell us what you want to produce, the capacity and your city in Iraq through the quote request form. If you already know the HS codes, include them. You can also read our guide to importing machinery from China first.