ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq has decided to reinforce a ban on the import of frozen chicken and its parts, a move aimed at supporting domestic poultry production. The decision, however, does not apply to products originating from the Kurdistan Region.
"Starting from January 15, 2026, the ban on importing frozen chicken, its parts, and all processed products will be implemented," Iraq’s agriculture ministry announced on Tuesday in a statement.
Officials in the Kurdistan Region confirmed that the measure will not restrict poultry exports from the Region to other parts of Iraq.
"Domestic frozen chicken products from the Kurdistan Region are currently being exported to central and southern Iraq without any restrictions,” Firas Siddiq, director general of animal resources at the Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, told Rudaw.
Siddiq added that the exports will continue after the ban comes into force, stressing that "after the ban takes effect, exports from the Kurdistan Region to [the rest of] Iraq will continue and will not be restricted," noting that the decision "supports the marketing of poultry products from the Kurdistan Region and will create higher demand for them."
Siddiq said the Kurdistan Region has significant production capacity, noting that it currently produces around 115 million chickens annually. "The Kurdistan Region has the capacity to produce 200,000 tons of frozen chicken and parts annually and can export 75,000 tons to central and southern Iraq," he said.
The import ban was initially approved in early September by the Iraqi ministerial council for the economy, which decided to put a ban on the import of all types of frozen chicken and its parts.