Italy will participate in the trade event scheduled from November 25 to 28 at the Erbil International Fairground, which will host Agro Pack 2024 – the 7th International Exhibition for Food Processing and Packaging – alongside Iraq Plast 2024, the 5th edition of the Fair dedicated to the plastics, printing, and packaging sectors. Our country will be represented by the Consul General in Erbil, Mr. Michele Camerota, and colleagues from the ICE Agency Office in Amman, responsible for Iraq.
This edition is expected to draw significant interest, with over 290 exhibitors from 19 countries (Armenia, Austria, Bahrain, China, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan) participating across two pavilions:
Pavilion 1:
- Food Iraq: A platform for showcasing and marketing food products and beverages.
- Agro Iraq: Focused on agriculture, agricultural production, livestock, and poultry.
Pavilion 2:
- Agro Pack Iraq: Dedicated to technology and materials for food and beverage processing.
Additionally, the fifth Iraq Plast exhibition enhances the value chain by presenting a wide array of suppliers in the plastics, printing, and packaging sectors, showcasing plastic raw materials, machinery, and processing equipment.
These sectors are strategic priorities for the Iraqi government. Between 2015 and 2023, Iraq’s imports of food and packaging technologies grew at an annual rate of 15.4%, rising from €76 million to €239 million, making Iraq the third-largest Arab importer in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (according to VDMA). These technology imports enable Iraq to develop and diversify its production, increase exports, and reduce dependence on consumer goods imports.
Food imports also rose between 2017 and 2022, with an annual growth rate of 12.5%, increasing from $11.245 billion USD to $20.3 billion USD (according to the WTO). This growth reinforces Iraq’s position as the third-largest food importer in the Arab Middle East, following Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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