Importing automation parts into Iraq:
documents, customs, lead times.

By DAC engineering team · Published 10 October 2026

• The shipment file
• The European channel
• Forwarding and transport
• Lead times
• Common mistakes
• Checklist
• How DAC handles it

An automation part is a small box with a long paper trail. A PLC CPU or a pressure transmitter clears Iraqi customs on the strength of its documents, not its nameplate, and most delays trace back to an incomplete file.

What a complete shipment file contains

Every DAC shipment travels with commercial invoice, packing list, certificates of origin and manufacturer documentation, and the quotation that precedes the order already carries the HS codes the file will use.

Commercial invoice

Each line of the invoice carries the manufacturer's part number, a plain description of the item (not "spare part"), quantity, value, currency, country of origin and HS code. Seller, buyer and consignee must match the packing list and the transport document.

Packing list

The packing list ties the invoice to the cartons: number of packages, contents per package, gross and net weight, dimensions. For a mixed consignment it says which carton holds which line.

Certificates of origin

A certificate of origin, issued by a chamber of commerce or an equivalent body in the exporting country, states where the goods were manufactured. Iraqi customs and tender files commonly ask for it; the country on it must agree with the invoice and the manufacturer's labelling.

Manufacturer documentation

Datasheets, test reports and certificates from the manufacturer: declaration of conformity, calibration certificates for instruments, routine test reports for switchgear, Ex certificates for hazardous-area equipment. They do not clear customs on their own, but tender committees ask for them and they settle a questioned description.

HS codes

The HS code decides the tariff line and the duty, and automation material spreads across several headings, so the right code depends on the exact item. DAC quotations carry the HS code per line, so the classification is known before ordering and the commercial invoice repeats it.

Where the European channel fits in

DAC's sourcing desk in Germany buys through established European distribution channels. That matters for the file: genuine new material arrives in the manufacturer's packaging with labels, serial numbers and documentation, so nothing has to be chased later, and the purchase invoice and the labelling give the country of origin that the certificate and the commercial invoice must repeat.

For hard-to-find and obsolete parts the desk locates verified European stock, checks revision and serials, and states condition and warranty before the customer commits. An obsolete module may be new old stock, refurbished or used; the invoice must say which, and the warranty follows the stated condition. See the Tailored Sourcing bay.

Forwarding and transport

Consignments are forwarded by express carriers such as DHL Express and Mateen Express, and the carrier's waybill joins the shipment file next to the invoice, packing list and certificates. Delivery is door-to-door to site, warehouse or camp across Iraq's 18 governorates, so the receiving side only has to name the address and the consignee exactly as registered.

One file serves the tender committee, the carrier and the customs declaration alike: part numbers, descriptions, origin and HS codes agree on every document because they were fixed on the quotation.

Planning lead times

Stock items dispatch within 1 working day; items not in stock usually arrive in 5 to 10 days door-to-door; configured or factory-built items follow the manufacturer's production lead time, stated in every quotation. Three habits keep a project plan honest:

• Ask for the lead time per line, not per order. One factory-built drive sets the date for the whole consignment unless the delivery is split.
• Separate stocked from configured. A CPU with a current part number is usually held in European distribution; a configured transmitter, a drive with options or a panel built in Erbil is not.
• Plan with the door-to-door figure. The quotation states the lead time per line door-to-door; that is the date to put in the project plan.

For shutdown work, place the long-lead lines first and let the stocked lines follow; DAC delivers door-to-door across Iraq's 18 governorates, so a split delivery is practical. Delivery terms are agreed per order and written into the quotation.

Common mistakes

• Wrong HS code. A PLC declared as a computer or a drive as a motor lands in the wrong tariff line. The codes on the quotation should be the codes on the invoice.
• Missing or mismatched certificate of origin. A certificate naming a different country from the invoice, or none at all, stops a consignment.
• Obsolete or superseded part numbers. A number copied from an old drawing may have been replaced, and the successor can carry a different HS code, size and price. DAC cross-references the old number before quoting; see guide 02 on replacing an obsolete PLC.
• "Spare part" as a description. The line must name the item, "programmable controller CPU" or "pressure transmitter 0 to 16 bar", with the part number.
• Documents requested after dispatch. Test reports, calibration and Ex certificates are easiest to obtain with the order.
• Condition not stated for sourced parts. Refurbished or used material declared as new is a customs and warranty problem.

Checklist before you order

• Part numbers verified against the manufacturer's current catalogue; successors noted.
• One quotation with prices, HS codes, country of origin, datasheets and lead time per line.
• Delivery terms agreed in the quotation; consignee named exactly as registered.
• Certificates of origin, test reports, calibration and Ex certificates listed in the order.
• For sourced or obsolete parts: condition and warranty stated in writing.
• Commissioning spares on the same consignment, so the file is prepared once.

How DAC handles it

DAC for General Trading Ltd. is an independent industrial supplier in Erbil, founded in 2022, with a sourcing desk in Germany. A DAC quotation comes back with availability, pricing, datasheets, HS codes and a realistic lead time per line. Every shipment travels with the file described above and is delivered door-to-door to site, warehouse or camp across Iraq's 18 governorates; formal offers and Arabic correspondence are prepared where a government institution, oil company or refinery requires them. Manufacturer warranty applies to genuine new material; for sourced or obsolete parts condition and warranty are stated per quotation. Send part numbers, a tag list or the tender annex on WhatsApp or to [email protected]; the file starts with the quotation.