In 2023, Iraq imported agricultural products worth a record amount of nearly US$16.0 billion, which is 7.5% or US$1.1 billion higher than in 2023 and 38.9% (US$4.5 billion) more than in 2019.
Iraq's imports of agricultural goods are highly diversified. The most popular imported agricultural products on the market in 2023 were rice (8.5% of the total value of agricultural imports, or US$1.4 billion), cigars and cigarettes (6.0% or US$951.9 million), poultry meat (5.7% or US$907.9 million). The top five agricultural products imported by the country at the end of the year also included flour confectionery and bakery products (4.4% or US$709.3 million) and beet and cane sugar (4.2% or US$671.9 million). In total, the 10 main commodity items accounted for 44.1% of Iraq's total agricultural imports in value terms in 2023.
Compared to the previous year, the largest increase in 2023 was observed in the country's imports of wheat (+88.9% or +$260.7 million), milk powder (+51.0% or +$136.4 million), beet and cane sugar (+23.4% or +$127.6 million), and rice (+22.9% or +$254.1 million). At the same time, there was a significant reduction in purchases of sunflower oil (-51.0% or -$478.3 million), as well as cigars and cigarettes (-26.3% or -$340.0 million).
The largest exporters of agricultural products to Iraq in 2023 were Turkey (28.0% of the country's agricultural imports in value terms), Iran (12.0%), and the UAE (10.3%). Together, the top 10 supplier countries accounted for 79.6% of the country's agricultural imports in value terms at the end of the year.
In 2023, Iraq significantly increased its purchases of agricultural goods from Australia (3.3 times or by $234.7 million), Brazil (2.2 times or by $680.9 million), the United States (2.1 times or US$186.2 million), China (2.1 times or US$254.5 million), and India (+49.0% or +US$472.2 million). At the same time, at the end of the year, supplies from Thailand (-33.6% or -$223.9 million) and Turkey (-15.1% or -$791.8 million) decreased significantly.
Iraq's agricultural exports in 2023 amounted to US$323.5 million, which is 32.0% or US$152.4 million lower than in 2023 and 21.3% or US$87.5 million lower than in 2019.
At the end of 2023, Iraq's main export items included dates (39.6% or US$128.0 million), soybean oil (36.0% or US$116.3 million), non-alcoholic beverages, except water and juices (5.7% or US$18.3 million), and alfalfa meal and pellets (4.1% or US$13.3 million). In total, in 2023, Iraq's 10 most sought-after agricultural products on the world market accounted for 92.8% of the country's agricultural exports by value.
In 2023, the most significant increase in value terms was in exports of alfalfa meal and pellets (23.1 times or US$12.7 million), molasses (4.3 times or by US$3.7 million), mushrooms (+80.2% or +US$1.6 million), and non-alcoholic beverages, except water and juices (+67.9% or +US$7.4 million). Exports of soybean oil from Iraq also resumed. At the same time, there was a significant reduction in the country's exports of cigars and cigarettes (-31.1% or -$1.3 million).
India is the largest importer of Iraqi agricultural products, accounting for 61.0% of the country's exports in value terms in 2023. The UAE (9.9%) and Kuwait (6.8%) were also among the top three buyers of agricultural goods from Iraq at the end of the year. In total, the 10 main importing countries accounted for 94.2% of Iraq's agricultural exports in 2023.
The largest increase in purchases of Iraqi agricultural goods in 2023 was demonstrated by Kuwait (from $109,400 to $22.2 million), the United Kingdom (6.6 times or +$3.4 million), Saudi Arabia (+52.8% or +$940,400), the UAE (+52.6% or +$11.0 million), and India (+46.8% or +$63.0 million). At the same time, in 2023, Egypt (-27.0% or -$3.1 million) and Jordan (-25.0% or -$2.6 million) significantly reduced their purchases of Iraqi agricultural products.
