Syria's foreign trade volumes climb sharply but lack clear economic vision, Damascus chamber member says

DAMASCUS, Syria — BEIRUT — A board member of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce said Syria's foreign trade has improved noticeably in recent months, with imports rising sharply and border crossings at Nasib and Bab al-Hawa playing a central role. Speaking to reporters, Mohammed Imad al-Malawi said the stabilization of the exchange rate, combined with new investments, has pushed trade volumes up many times over, though imports now far exceed exports. Petroleum derivatives enter Syria mainly through Iraq, while cement, iron, food and electronic goods arrive via the Nasib, Bab al-Hawa and Jideyde Yabus crossings, according to al-Malawi. He added that the return of Syrian migrants from abroad and financial transfers from the diaspora have helped revitalize the market. Imports, once concentrated in the hands of a small group of traders, are now handled by more than 100,000 commercial and industrial entities, he said. Al-Malawi called on relevant institutions, led by the General Secretariat of the Republic, to develop a shared economic vision and warned that the suspension of the ASYCUDA customs system has made reliable trade statistics harder to produce. He noted that Jordan and Turkey compete for a larger share of Syrian supply flows, while Lebanon and Iraq hold smaller portions, and said suspending free trade agreements for now was a reasonable step to allow domestic industry to recover.