Kashaf reviews the figures of Syrian trade since 2010, from the sharp contraction that followed to the map of trading partners after the fall of the Assad regime, along with the rise of Turkey, Jordan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia in Syria's trade. These figures reveal markets that have shifted over the past years, while the trade deficit has persisted despite rising trade with some neighbouring countries.
The Starting Point: Trade in 2010 and Its Partners
In 2010, Syria's merchandise exports stood at 12.8 billion dollars, while merchandise imports were recorded at 17.56 billion dollars, putting the trade deficit at 4.77 billion dollars. Iraq was the top destination for Syrian exports at 20.2%, followed by Italy at 13.4% and then Germany at 13%, while Turkey, China and Italy led the sources of imports, which reflects the weight of Iraq and European markets among Syria's export destinations at the time.
The Sharp Contraction: Five Years of Decline
The period between 2010 and 2015 saw a sharp contraction in Syrian trade, as exports fell from 12.8 billion dollars to 2.36 billion dollars, a drop of about 82% over five years. Imports in turn declined from 17.56 billion dollars to 6.28 billion dollars, which reveals a broad shrinking in the volume of Syria's trade with the outside world, on both the export and import sides.
After the Regime's Fall: The Deficit and Shifting Partners
The figures for trade after the fall show that merchandise exports stood at about 3.34 billion dollars in 2024, below the 12.8 billion dollars recorded in 2010. The same figures show merchandise imports at 6.28 billion dollars and a trade deficit of 2.95 billion dollars. In 2024, Turkey was the top destination for Syrian exports, a position Iraq held in 2010, and Syria's main trading partners were as follows:
- Exports: Turkey came first with 33.5%, followed by Saudi Arabia with 16.4% and then Lebanon with 9.6%.
- Imports: Turkey came first with 48%, followed by the UAE and China.
Jordan and Lebanon: Trade Up with One, Down with the Other
The year 2025 brought shifts in trade with neighbouring countries: trade with Jordan reached 334 million Jordanian dinars, up from 116 million dinars in 2024, so that trade between the two countries roughly tripled, and Jordanian exports to Syria reached 252 million dinars. With Lebanon, trade stood at about 250 million dollars, down from a previous peak of about 800 million dollars. The two countries are also moving to review more than 40 agreements that regulate their trade.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia: Trade Figures in 2025
As for the UAE, non-oil trade reached 1.4 billion dollars in 2025, up 132% compared with 2024, a record level according to the Emirati side. In the same year, Saudi exports to Syria stood at 1.9 billion riyals, while Saudi imports from Syria reached 820.8 million riyals, an annual rise of 19.9%, figures that reflect growth in part of Syria's trade with the two countries during 2025.
Indicators of Recovery: An Unchanged Equation
This review shows that the top destinations for Syrian exports shifted from Iraq, Italy and Germany in 2010 to Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in 2024, before trade with Jordan and the UAE rose in 2025, while the underlying equation held, with the trade deficit persisting. This raises the question of which indicator will decide the recovery of Syrian trade: rising Syrian exports, more diverse trading partners, or a shrinking trade deficit.
