Trade Policy and its Role in Promoting Agricultural Production and Supporting the Trade Balance of Agricultural Products in Iraq for the Period 2003–2022

Trade policy is one of the most important economic policies that affect agricultural production, through organizing import and export operations and supporting local producers using its various tools. Thus, the aim of the research is to study the reality of the agricultural sector in Iraq considering the trade policies followed during the period 2003-2022. What are the effects that these policies left on the agricultural sector, which contributed to the decline of the agricultural sector and a significant decline in agricultural production. In order to reach the goal of the research, the inductive and deductive approach was used in economic analysis by examining the reality of the agricultural sector and its development, the most prominent commercial policies followed and their impact on agricultural production, and knowing the most important reasons and successful policies in developing agricultural production in Iraq. The research concluded that agricultural production in Iraq has witnessed a noticeable deterioration in recent times due to trade policies and economic openness that made Iraq dependent on abroad to meet its food needs, as the contribution of the agricultural sector to the gross domestic product was very low, and the study also showed the presence of a deficit in the agricultural trade balance. This requires following a cautious trade policy by providing protection for the local product while supporting and developing the agricultural sector by following the latest technological methods, provided that this protection is temporary and gradual and that global experiences in this field are benefited from.