Türkiye targets $600M in cereal and pulses exports to Syria

Celal Kadooglu, President of the Southeastern Anatolia Grain Pulses Oilseeds and Products Exporters’ Association, announced plans to increase the region’s exports of cereals and pulses to Syria from the current $350 million to $500-600 million.

In a written statement, Kadooglu credited the Turkish Ministry of Trade’s efforts in revising customs duties on 269 products with Syria for facilitating the increase in exports.

“We currently export $350 million worth of cereals and pulses to Syria annually. With the revised customs duties and strong bilateral relations, we expect this figure to rise swiftly to $500-600 million,” Kadooglu stated.

Meanwhile, trade between Türkiye and Syria has surged at the start of the year, with Turkish exports to Syria increasing by 35.5% year-on-year, reaching $219 million by Jan. 25, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat announced on Thursday.

Bolat highlighted the close cooperation with Syria’s new administration, expressing optimism about further progress in trade, investments, and reconstruction. He emphasized that despite changes to customs duties introduced on Jan. 11, the adjustments were not aimed at Türkiye but were part of broader fiscal reforms.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s regime leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new administration led by Al-Sharaa has now taken control of the country.

This article has been republished from The Turkiye Today.