Trade Between Türkiye and Syria Sees Notable Increase in Early 2025

Trade Between Türkiye and Syria Sees Notable Increase in Early 2025

Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Trade between Türkiye and Syria has gained significant momentum at the start of the new year, with Turkish exports to Syria rising by 35.5 percent year-on-year, reaching $219 million as of January 25, according to Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat.

In a statement on Tuesday, Minister Bolat emphasized the strong cooperation between the newly established Syrian administration and Türkiye, expressing optimism for further progress in trade, investments, and reconstruction efforts in the region.

“While the Syrian revolution saw the exemption of essential goods like food and construction materials from customs duties, the recent changes in customs duties reflect a broader shift towards a unified customs policy aimed at boosting revenue,” Bolat said.

Notably, the Syrian government introduced a revised set of customs duties on January 11, adjusting 6,302 duty classifications. Some goods saw duty increases in northern Syria, while others experienced reductions. The minister clarified that there had been misinformation in certain reports suggesting that higher duties were imposed on Turkish goods compared to products from Arab countries.

“These adjustments were made to meet public expenditure requirements and were not intended to target Turkish products specifically,” Bolat explained.

Reviving Historical Trade Relations

The minister also reflected on the historical context of trade relations between Türkiye and Syria, recalling the free trade agreement signed in 2007, which was suspended following the outbreak of civil war in Syria. Bolat announced that Türkiye had proposed reviving the agreement, with a product-by-product approach to negotiations, to which Syria has responded positively.

In addition, Bolat pointed out Türkiye’s concerns about the potential inflationary impact of increased customs duties on essential goods. To mitigate this, Türkiye recommended reducing duties on key necessities, a suggestion that Syria has acted upon by announcing duty reductions on 269 products, including items like milk, eggs, flour, iron, steel, and plastics.

Increase in Cross-Border Traffic

According to Minister Bolat, cross-border trade activity has also seen a marked rise. Between January 15 and 20, an average of 532 vehicles crossed into Syria via the Hatay border gate each day, up from 527 vehicles per day in the first five days of January. Other border gates, including Oncupinar, Cobanbey, Karkamis, Akcakale, and Ceylanpinar, recorded an increase in daily vehicle traffic from 344 to 484 vehicles during the same period.

Bolat also addressed false claims regarding Turkish trucks crossing into YPG-controlled regions of Syria via the Habur border gate. He firmly dismissed these allegations, stating that the high customs duties in northern Iraq made such routes economically unfeasible.

Strong Trade Performance in 2023

Bolat concluded by highlighting the strong performance of trade between the two countries in 2023, with Türkiye’s exports to northern Syria reaching $2.2 billion, while imports totaled $450 million prior to the collapse of the Assad regime. Notably, following the January 11 customs duty adjustments, Turkish exports to Syria surged to $130 million in just two weeks, reflecting a 33 percent increase during that period.

With both nations seeking to strengthen bilateral ties, there are hopes for further expansion in trade and a positive outlook for the reconstruction of Syria in the coming years.