Millions spent annually on importing tea to Iraq

Official data issued by the United Nations COMTRADE database revealed financial figures regarding the ongoing drain of hard currency in Iraq due to the import of basic commodities. Ali Karim Izuhaib, an economic and financial researcher at the Dijlah Lights Organization for Strategic Planning, stated in an official release that India's tea exports alone to the Iraqi market recorded an increase, reaching approximately 125.24 million US dollars during the past year 2025. Izuhaib pointed out that this large sum is paid to provide this consumer commodity, which is an essential element in every local home and café. He explained that these findings place economic and financial policies before serious questions, especially as a country rich in wealth fails to find alternatives for a consumer commodity that drains millions from the treasury in favor of foreign markets, amid the absence of local capacities from plans to localize food industries.