To ship a Copart or IAA car to Iraq, have it moved from the auction yard to your shipping agent's warehouse at a US port such as Houston, Newark, Savannah or Baltimore. From there it goes by container to Umm Qasr, or through a gateway port such as Mersin, Aqaba or Jebel Ali and on by road. Important: Iraq has announced it will not allow used cars with serious accident, fire or flood damage, so check what your clearing agent can bring in before you bid on a damaged car.
How do you ship a Copart or IAA car to Iraq?
- Check the import rules first. Age limits and damage rules decide which cars you can bring in. See the rules below.
- Get the US transport price before you bid. Enter the lot number in our calculator and choose the warehouse your shipping agent uses.
- Win, pay and book transport the same day. This keeps auction storage low. We collect the car from the yard and deliver it to your shipping agent's warehouse.
- Your shipping agent loads and files. They load the car into a container, file the export information (AES) and present the title to US customs at least 72 hours before sailing.
- Ocean shipping and arrival. The ship sails to Iraq (Umm Qasr) or a gateway port, where your clearing agent handles customs.
DispatchAuction handles step 3: the trip from any Copart or IAA yard in the lower 48 to the US warehouse. Your shipping agent handles the ocean part.
Which US port should you ship to Iraq from?
Cars for Iraq commonly leave from Houston, TX, Newark, NJ, Savannah, GA, Baltimore, MD. The best choice is the port your shipping agent loads from with the best rate and sailing schedule, weighed against how far the auction yard is from it. Every extra mile on the truck in the US costs money, so a car bought in Texas usually goes out of Houston, and a car bought in the Northeast out of Newark.
Houston warehouses is selected. Enter the lot number, or choose your agent's warehouse.
What are the import rules for Iraq?
- Damaged cars: Iraq's Ministry of Planning has said that used cars with serious accident damage, fire damage or flood damage "are not allowed to enter at all", as part of the Iraqi vehicle standard, with marking requirements starting 1 January 2026. How this is applied to US salvage-title cars, and in the Kurdistan Region, should be confirmed with your clearing agent before you buy.
- Vehicle standard: all cars entering Iraq must meet the Iraqi specifications, whatever their country of origin.
- Clean-title cars are the safest choice for Iraq while the damage rules settle.
Checked November 2026. Import rules change often, and the sources below are shipping companies and news reports, not government notices. Confirm with your clearing agent in Iraq before you bid. Sources: Khaberni (Iraq vehicle standard), Vero Shipping (Aug 2026)
Container or RoRo, and how long does it take?
Cars go to Iraq by container, which takes cars that don't run and lets several cars share one box. Sailing time depends on the route and transshipment ports, so ask your shipping agent for the current schedule from your US port.
What documents do you need on the US side?
For every used car leaving the US, your shipping agent needs the original title and files the export information in AES, which gives an ITN number. Both go to US customs at least 72 hours before the ship sails. The title is the most common delay: auctions often mail it separately, so ask for it as soon as you pay. Our guide to exporting a car from the USA explains each document.
If we haven't picked up your car within 5 business days, we pay the auction storage charged for every day after that until pickup. The 5 business days start on the latest of three dates: the day you order with us, the day your auction balance reaches $0, and the day you send us the gate pass PIN (where the auction uses one). It doesn't apply to weather events, sublot or off-site cars, auctions that are hard to reach such as rural yards, delays the auction causes, or wrong lot or gate pass details. Send us the auction invoice within 30 days of pickup and we reimburse it. Full wording is in section 7 of our Terms.
What happens when the car arrives?
Umm Qasr, near Basra, is Iraq's main sea gateway, and cars continue by road to Baghdad, Erbil, Mosul and other cities. Buyers in the north and in the Kurdistan Region sometimes route cars through Mersin in Turkiye and then by road. Others use Aqaba or the UAE. Pick the route with your agent based on where the car is going and how it will clear customs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ship a Copart car to Iraq?
Buy and pay for the car, then book transport from the Copart yard to your shipping agent's warehouse at a US port such as Houston, Newark, Savannah. Your shipping agent loads it into a container, files the US export paperwork and ships it to Iraq (Umm Qasr) or a gateway port.
How much does it cost to get a Copart car to the port for Iraq?
The US part depends on the distance from the auction yard to the warehouse, the car's size and whether it runs. Enter the lot number in our calculator to see the exact price. The ocean freight is quoted separately by your shipping agent.
Does DispatchAuction ship the car overseas?
No. We move the car inside the US, from any Copart or IAA yard in the lower 48 to your shipping agent's warehouse or any address you choose. Your shipping agent handles the ocean shipping.
Can I import a salvage car from Copart into Iraq?
Be careful. Iraq has announced that used cars with serious accident, fire or flood damage are not allowed in, under the Iraqi vehicle standard starting in 2026. Confirm with your clearing agent how this applies to the car you want before you bid.
Which port do cars from the USA use for Iraq?
Umm Qasr is the main port. Some buyers, especially in northern Iraq and Kurdistan, route cars through Mersin in Turkiye, Aqaba in Jordan or the UAE, and then by road.