Syria and Turkey are seeking to increase bilateral trade from about $3.7 billion to $10 billion, as economists warn that rising Turkish imports, amid Syria’s weak productive 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 work is underway to raise the volume of trade between Syria and Turkey from about $3.7 billion to $10 billion.
Al-Ali made the statement during the Syrian-Turkish Businessmen Forum, held 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 Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar also discussed ways to increase trade, facilitate investment 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 place additional pressure on its productive sectors.
An Early Target
Economist Ziad Arabsh told Enab Baladi that trade between Syria and Turkey reached about $3.75 billion in 2025, an increase of 45%.
He said, however, that discussions about raising bilateral trade to $10 billion remain premature, even over the next four years.
Arabsh noted that six border crossings operate between the two countries and said trade through them currently favors Turkey, as Turkish exports to Syria exceed Syrian exports moving in the opposite direction.
According to Arabsh, Turkish exports to Syria reached about $1.28 billion during the first half of 2026, an increase of 26.4%.
Syrian exports to Turkey, by contrast, do not exceed $450 million, according to Arabsh.
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 agreed with Arabsh that Syria is the weaker party in its trade relationship with Turkey.
Youssef told Enab Baladi that this is due to the wide gap between Turkey’s strong economy and broad productive base and Syria’s 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 wide variety of goods, they also compete with local products, 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 products from the two countries unequal and limit Syrian industries’ ability 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 trade integration, while expanding cooperation in investment, transport, energy and customs.
Bolat added that cooperation between the Turkish and Syrian central banks is continuing, noting that there are plans to take new steps soon toward establishing Turkish banks in Syria and strengthening financial ties between the two countries.
In this context, Arabsh said banking cooperation represents a fundamental entry point for developing economic relations, particularly after the Central Bank of Syria signed an agreement with the Turkish central bank to open a deposit account in Turkish lira.
He explained that the agreement aims to reduce reliance on informal intermediaries, accelerate commercial transfers and improve 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 Arabsh, but also include bringing in technology and expertise through the creation of joint industrial zones and benefiting from Turkey’s experience in managing industrial cities.
Arabsh also pointed to the potential for Syrian skills and expertise to be used in joint projects, particularly as more than 15,000 factories have returned to operation in Syria.
He also highlighted interests linked to the two countries’ geographic positions, 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.
Concluding his remarks, Arabsh stressed the need to take the interests of both countries into account, with narrowing the trade balance gap serving as a key benchmark for any future economic cooperation.
According to Arabsh, 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 the border with Syria, with the aim of increasing their capacity and improving infrastructure amid intensified efforts to support trade, reconstruction and regional stability.
The projects will also help facilitate trade and improve the efficiency of services at border crossings, according to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, citing the Turkish Ministry of Trade on August 16.
Meanwhile, Qutaiba Badawi, head of Syria’s General Authority for Land and Sea Ports, said during the August 13 inauguration of new freight yards and a logistics center near Turkey’s Cilvegozu crossing, opposite the Bab al-Hawa crossing, that the authority is working on an integrated project to expand and develop Bab al-Hawa.
According to Badawi, the project includes freight yards, buildings, service facilities and routes for trucks and passengers, and is expected to be completed and opened within three months. He said the project will complement the new facilities on the Turkish side and improve 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 increasing numbers of trucks and expanding commercial exchange. He said this strengthens their role as vital gateways connecting Turkish and European markets with Arab markets through Syrian territory.