Syria and Turkey are seeking to raise bilateral trade from about $3.7 billion to $10 billion, while economists warn that increased Turkish imports, amid Syria’s weak production capacity, could deepen the trade imbalance and put further pressure on local industry.
Alaa al-Ali, head of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, announced on Wednesday, August 26, that efforts are underway to increase bilateral trade between Syria and Turkey from about $3.7 billion to $10 billion.
Al-Ali made the statement during the Syrian-Turkish Business Forum, organized in cooperation between Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry, Turkey’s Ministry of Trade, the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, and the Turkish Exporters Assembly.
Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal al-Shaar also discussed ways to increase bilateral trade, facilitate investment flows, and support the private sector during a meeting with Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat.
The meeting also addressed encouraging joint projects that could stimulate production, create jobs, and strengthen economic integration between the two countries.
Economists who spoke to Enab Baladi, however, said that increasing Turkish imports without corresponding growth in Syrian exports would weaken the local economy and increase pressure on its productive sectors.
Premature Target
Economist Ziad Arbache told Enab Baladi that trade between Syria and Turkey reached about $3.75 billion in 2025, an increase of 45%.
However, he said discussion of raising the figure to $10 billion remains premature, even within the next four years.
Arbache noted that there are six border crossings between the two countries, saying that trade through them currently favors Turkey because Turkish exports to Syria exceed Syrian exports in the opposite direction.
According to Arbache, Turkish exports to Syria reached about $1.28 billion in the first half of this year, an increase of 26.4%.
Syrian exports to Turkey, meanwhile, do not exceed $450 million, according to Arbache.
He added that factories owned by Syrians in Turkey contribute to part of the flow of goods into Syria, but Turkish industrial products continue to dominate trade between the two countries.
Unequal Competition
Economist Ammar Youssef agrees with Arbache that Syria is the weaker party in its trade relationship with Turkey.
Youssef told Enab Baladi that this is due to the significant gap between a strong Turkish economy with a broad production base and a Syrian economy whose infrastructure and productive capacity have been damaged, leaving it with limited ability to compete.
Youssef said Turkey would be the main beneficiary of any trade agreement between the two countries under current conditions unless the agreement includes measures to protect Syrian production and support its competitiveness.
Although Turkish imports provide the Syrian market with a diverse range of goods and products, they also compete with locally produced goods, particularly because Turkish industrial sectors receive various forms of government support, according to Youssef.
He added that lower production costs in Turkey compared with the cost of manufacturing goods in Syria make competition between the two countries’ products unequal and limit the ability of Syrian industries to maintain their share of the domestic market.
Banking Cooperation and Joint Projects
Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said during the forum that Turkey and Syria are continuing efforts to strengthen economic and commercial integration, with intensified cooperation in investment, transportation, energy, and customs.
Bolat added that cooperation between the Turkish and Syrian central banks is ongoing, noting that there are plans to take new steps soon toward establishing Turkish banks in Syria and strengthening financial relations between the two countries.
In this context, economist Ziad Arbache said banking cooperation represents an essential entry point for developing economic relations, particularly after the Central Bank of Syria signed an agreement with the Central Bank of Turkey to open a Turkish lira deposit account.
He explained that the agreement is intended to reduce reliance on informal intermediaries, accelerate commercial transfers, and strengthen financial transparency, potentially paving the way for Turkish banks to open branches in Syria in the coming period.
Broader Cooperation
Opportunities for economic cooperation between Syria and Turkey are not limited to trade, according to Arbache . They also include bringing in technology and expertise through the establishment of joint industrial zones and benefiting from Turkey’s experience in managing industrial cities.
Arbache also pointed to the possibility of using Syrian skills and expertise in joint projects, particularly with more than 15,000 factories having returned to operation in Syria.
He also highlighted the interests arising from the two countries’ geographic locations, saying Syria could serve as a gateway for Turkey to the Gulf and North Africa, while Turkey could provide Syria with access to Europe and the Caucasus.
At the end of his remarks, Arbache stressed the need to take the interests of both countries into account, with reducing the trade balance gap serving as a key benchmark for any future economic cooperation.
According to Arbache , this could be achieved by transferring knowledge and technology to strengthen Syrian exports and developing formal financing channels that reduce trade costs and increase the competitiveness of Syrian products, ultimately leading to economic integration that supports stability.
Upgrading Border Crossings With Syria
Turkey’s Ministry of Trade is continuing projects to modernize and expand customs crossings along its border with Syria, aiming to increase their capacity and improve their infrastructure amid intensified efforts to support trade, reconstruction, and regional stability.
These projects will also facilitate trade and improve the efficiency of services provided at the border crossings, according to Turkey’s Ministry of Trade, as reported by Anadolu Agency on August 16.
Meanwhile, Qutaiba Badawi, head of Syria’s General Authority for Land and Sea Ports, said during the inauguration of new freight yards and a logistics center near Turkey’s Cilvegözü crossing, opposite the Bab al-Hawa crossing, on August 13, that the authority is working on an integrated project to expand and develop Bab al-Hawa.
The project includes freight yards, buildings, service facilities, and routes for truck and passenger traffic. According to Badawi, it is scheduled to be completed and inaugurated within three months, complementing the new facilities on the Turkish side and improving the efficiency of movement between the two crossings.
Badawi said border crossings between Syria and Turkey are seeing rapid growth in trade, transit traffic, and passenger movement, alongside a rising number of trucks crossing the border and expanding bilateral commerce. This, he said, strengthens their role as vital gateways linking Turkish and European markets with Arab markets through Syrian territory.