2 days ago
Syria bans the import of certain fruits and vegetables
Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar announced Friday that a number of fruits and vegetables would no longer be imported into Syria in order "to protect local products."
Decision No. 603, which stipulates the halt of imports of a number of vegetables and fruits, is based on Legislative Decree No. 60 of 1952 and its amendments, as well as Presidential Decree No. 9 of March 29, 2025, in accordance with the Ministry of Agriculture's letter No. 211/T dated Aug. 10, 2025.
Contacted for comment, the president of the National Farmers' Syndicate in Lebanon, Ibrahim Tarshishi, stated that this decision would not affect Lebanon "in any way."
"Fruits and vegetables from Syria are already cheaper in Syria, and there is no purchasing power. We mainly export citrus fruit to the neighboring country," he said.
The first article of the decision lists the products whose import is suspended – tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, onions, garlic, lemons, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, apples, grapes, peaches and figs – "for the month of September 2025."
Article 2 states that "the need to inform the relevant authorities for its implementation," specifying that "a copy has been sent to the General Authority of Land and Sea Crossings, the Ministry of Agriculture, the general directorates of Economy, Industry, Domestic Trade and Consumer Protection, as well as the unions of the chambers of commerce, industry and agriculture in Syria, and the Directorate of Foreign Trade."
"This decision is part of the policy of the Syrian Ministry of Economy and Industry to support local production and to offer Syrian producers the opportunity to market their crops on domestic markets," the minister added.
The minister also recalled that on July 28, a decision was made to ban the import of several agricultural and poultry products as of the beginning of August.
