Umm Qasr is iraq's principal deep-water container gateway and the entry point for the majority of the country's containerised imports, operated by General Company for Ports of Iraq, with terminals run by ICTSI (Basra Gateway Terminal) at Umm Qasr, Basra Governorate. It works 12.5 m at the newer quays of alongside draft and basra Gateway Terminal has taken Umm Qasr past 1 million TEU a year. Cargo discharged here clears under Iraq rules — 5% customs duty, 0% VAT and 3–7 working days for a complete file. For almost all containerised Iraqi imports — it is the only Iraqi port with modern gantry cranes and a purpose-built container terminal.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Umm Qasr, Basra Governorate, Iraq |
| Operator | General Company for Ports of Iraq, with terminals run by ICTSI (Basra Gateway Terminal) |
| Container capacity | Basra Gateway Terminal has taken Umm Qasr past 1 million TEU a year |
| Alongside draft | 12.5 m at the newer quays |
| Cargo handled | Containerised general cargo, Grain and foodstuffs, Reconstruction and building materials, Project cargo and rigs |
| Hinterland served | Basra, the southern governorates and, by road convoy, Baghdad and northern Iraq |
| Attached facilities | Basra Gateway Terminal offers modern STS cranes, a dedicated container yard and scanning facilities |
| Origin | Est. freight (USD) | Transit (days) | Service into this port | Route detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | $1,400 | 6 | Strong direct / high-frequency | View route |
| India | $1,500 | 12 | Strong direct / high-frequency | View route |
| Turkey | $1,900 | 14 | Strong direct / high-frequency | View route |
| China | $2,200 | 22 | Strong direct / high-frequency | View route |
| South Korea | $2,400 | 24 | Strong direct / high-frequency | View route |
| Singapore | $2,000 | 12 | Via feeder or transhipment | View route |
| Vietnam | $2,300 | 23 | Via feeder or transhipment | View route |
| Italy | $2,900 | 20 | Via feeder or transhipment | View route |
| Netherlands | $3,038 | 29 | Via feeder or transhipment | View route |
| Germany | $3,200 | 31 | Via feeder or transhipment | View route |
| USA | $4,200 | 38 | Via feeder or transhipment | View route |
For almost all containerised Iraqi imports — it is the only Iraqi port with modern gantry cranes and a purpose-built container terminal.
Inland, Umm Qasr serves Basra, the southern governorates and, by road convoy, Baghdad and northern Iraq. Basra Gateway Terminal offers modern STS cranes, a dedicated container yard and scanning facilities.
The lanes with the strongest direct or high-frequency service into Umm Qasr are China, India, Turkey, Egypt, South Korea — those sailings are usually the cheapest and most schedule-reliable way to reach this terminal.
Iraq's sea imports move through Umm Qasr and Basra, dominated by reconstruction materials, foodstuffs and industrial inputs.
Cargo discharged at Umm Qasr clears under Iraq customs rules — IQD is the settlement currency and duty and VAT are assessed on the declared CIF value. Importers routing through Umm Qasr should budget both the ocean freight shown above and destination charges (THC, documentation, delivery order and inland haulage), which the landed cost calculator itemises.
Estimate all-in shipping costs into Umm Qasr.