BREAKING NEWS

Syria slaps ban on imports except raw materials

By REUTERS

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011 20:56

Syria banned most imports except raw materials and grains, local businessmen said on Saturday in a move to preserve foreign currency reserves under pressure from Western sanctions and ongoing political unrest.

The government decreed on Thursday that all imports that carry a tariff that exceeds five percent are banned, meaning that most foreign goods are affected, from electrical goods to cars and luxury items, businessmen and traders in Damascus contacted by Reuters said.

Minister of Economy and Trade Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar was quoted in the local press as saying the abrupt move in a country that imports billions of dollars of consumer items annually was "preventive and temporary".

It was aimed at "preserving the country's foreign reserves and redirecting (them) to the low income brackets of the population."

Yoav Gallant discusses Rafah op with IDF soldiers at Gaza Strip border

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

05/07/2024 06:51 PM

Displaced Gaza border residents can return home in two-three years

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

05/07/2024 03:59 PM

US repatriates 11 citizens from northeast Syria

By REUTERS

05/07/2024 02:58 PM

PA calls on US to 'intervene immediately' to prevent invasion of Rafah

By REUTERS