In February 2026, the Iraqi Competition and Antitrust Council (CAC) issued its Guideline on Mergers and Restrictive Commercial Practices. This marks the first structured procedural framework since Iraq enacted the Competition and Antitrust Law No. 14 of 2010.
Although the Iraqi Competition Law has existed for more than a decade, enforcement has remained limited in practice. The new Guideline begins to operationalize the law by clarifying how the CAC intends to review mergers, acquisitions, and restrictive agreements. It also offers insight into how the CAC may interpret key provisions going forward.
However, the Guideline still leaves several important questions unanswered. Businesses and investors with exposure to Iraq should treat the development as an important step forward, but not as a complete resolution of uncertainty under the Iraqi merger control and antitrust regimes.
