Syria, Turkiye to reassess customs tariffs, start FTA revival talks

Both sides also agreed to start talks to re-enact the free trade agreement (FTA) suspended in 2011, when the civil war started in Syria, the Turkish trade ministry said in a statement.

Though media reported recently that customs tariffs on Turkish imports had been raised by 300-500 per cent, the ministry clarified that the newly implemented tariff system, effective as of January 11, was not exclusive to Turkish goods but applied equally across all borders and customs administrations.

Turkiye has been the primary backer of the opposition forces that ousted dictator Bashar Assad last month and has since pledged to help Syria's reconstruction and economic revival.

Syria-Turkiye volume stood at $2.3 billion in 2010, before the civil war broke out, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute. In 2012, the trade volume plummeted to $565 million. It increased over the years but never achieved pre-2011 levels. Turkiye exported goods worth over $1.95 billion to Syria last year.

The discussions also identified key areas for cooperation, including trade in industrial and agricultural products, transit and bilateral transportation and contracting and construction services to revive the Syrian economy, media outlets in Turkiye reported citing the statement.

Turkish firms, which had so far provided services only to certain regions of Syria, will now have opportunities to operate throughout the country and evaluate investment potential in coordination with the Syrian administration, the statement said.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)