Turkish goods overwhelm Syrian market, endangering local industry
The 48% increase in Turkish exports to Syria during the first months of 2025 reveals a growing trade imbalance, signaling a potential flooding of the Syrian market with Turkish goods. This trend poses a serious threat to local industry and deepens Syria’s economic dependence, particularly in the absence of effective protectionist policies.
Albert Einstein once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This phrase aptly describes the approach of the current Damascus authorities, who persist in repeating the disastrous economic policies of the previous regime—especially in regard to trade relations with Turkey.
Just yesterday, the Turkish Exporters Assembly announced that Turkish exports to Syria rose by 48% during the first four months of 2025. This development is reminiscent of the pre-2011 period, when Bashar al-Assad’s regime allowed Turkish goods to enter Syria duty-free, thereby reinforcing a trade dependency that previously harmed local industry.
Current data, according to economic observers, points clearly toward an intentional flooding of the Syrian market with imported Turkish goods—at a time when the Syrian economy is suffering from severe structural collapse. This surge in imports at the expense of domestic production does not merely indicate a trade imbalance; it constitutes a direct threat to economic sovereignty. It exacerbates the trade deficit, puts downward pressure on the Syrian pound, and deepens reliance on the increasingly influential Turkish economy within Syria’s economic landscape.
The consequences go beyond statistics. Syrian industry is gradually losing its competitive edge, job opportunities are dwindling, and the national production base is shrinking. This is occurring in the absence of adequate financial infrastructure, suitable logistical frameworks, or any serious protectionist policies. In the medium term, the Syrian market is transforming into a subordinate consumer outlet that serves external interests at the expense of internal recovery.
Without an independent economic vision, strict oversight mechanisms, and effective customs protection tools, the Damascus authorities continue to slide toward a fragile model devoid of a national production base or a resilient industry. This stands in stark contrast to the North and East of Syria, where a community-driven, self-sufficient economic approach is being pursued.
a.k
ANHA
