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New Syrian administration eases tariffs on 269 imports from Turkey: minister

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The interim Syrian government has decided to lower tariffs on 269 imports from Turkey amid outrage over its recent decision to standardize tariffs, which resulted in a significant increase in duty on Turkish products, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Monday, citing Trade Minister Ömer Bolat.

Bolat said his ministry had sent a team from the customs and international agreements unit to Damascus Thursday on the first Turkish Airlines flight to the city in years and that as a result of negotiations with the Syrian ministries of economy, customs and trade, an agreement was reached to slash tariffs on some products from Turkey.

“As of this week, Syria has decided to reduce tariffs on 269 Turkish imports, including eggs, flour, corn, milk, some iron and steel products and hygiene products, all of which make up a significant part of our exports to Syria,” the minister said, without elaborating on the amount of the reduction.

Syria’s new General Authority for Land and Maritime Transport announced on January 11 a standard tariff that would apply to all land, sea and air border crossings. While tariffs on some goods were reduced by 50 to 60 percent, tariffs on imports entering through the northern border crossings, including the Bab al-Hawa crossing with Turkey, increased by up to 500 percent. The increase alarmed traders and residents already struggling with high levels of poverty, as many fear it would exacerbate economic challenges and drive up prices.

Bolat said the implementation of the standard tariffs by the Syrian government led to confusion and misunderstanding as if it were exclusively targeting Turkey but in fact was valid for all countries exporting goods to Syria.

The increased duty on imports from Turkey sparked protests from Turkish exporters, leading to queues of trucks up to six kilometers long at the border gates as companies halted trade. The increased tariffs also forced some Turkish exporters to reroute their goods through the Habur border gate with Iraq in southeastern Turkey.

According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data, Turkey exported products exceeding $2 billion to Syria in 2024, a significant portion of which was grains.

The changes in the tariffs coincided with the general reopening of the Syrian economy following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. The policy aims to stabilize the treasury and strengthen local industry. However, protests and rising tensions indicate that the implementation of this policy remains controversial across the country.

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