Sanctions lifting
On July 1, the United States announced that it had raised international sanctions on thousands of Syrian companies. The goal: to revive the Syrian economy, weakened by thirteen years of civil war, of denominational violence and a war against the Islamic State. “”This is an effort to promote and support the country’s path to stability and peace “the White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told the press. US President Donald Trump had even said: “Now it’s up to them to shine … good luck, Syria“.
By raising the Syrian sanctions, Trump secretly strengthens Moscow and Tehran
A month later, when the economic war waged by Donald Trump worries the whole world, the decisions of the American president fall in the dropper and Syria is no exception to these sanctions: 41 % customs duties. Admittedly, Syria has few exchanges with the United States, especially due to long-standing sanctions, but some exchanges still exist. According to the observatory for Economic Complexity, Syria exported $ 11.3 million to the United States, while it imported 1.29 million.
Syria to rebuild
Questioned by CNBC, an alert expert: while the war was devastating in Syria, the country more than ever needs support, and not new sanctions. “”After years of devastating civil war, Syria has an urgent need for important foreign direct investments to start the long and difficult reconstruction process “explains Giorgio Caféo, CEO of the Gulf State Analytics Risk Analysis Cabinet, in CNBC.
He continues by saying that “The recent lifting of a large part of the American, British and European sanctions was a welcome development for Damascus. But the tax by Washington of such high prices now threatens to block any significant business prospect with the United States. “
The new American customs duties come into force: “billions of dollars flock”
Syria, now led by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, remains in a “Advanced dilapidation state “still according to CNBC. More than two thirds of the electricity network are out of service and Aleppo and Damascus undergo daily power cuts over 20 hours. Faced with this chaos, the lifting of the sanctions had aroused renewed hope. Whole delegations from the United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states had come to discuss investments in Damascus.
Why the customs tariffs?
This change in policy on customs tariffs seems motivated by a single hypothesis: to push the government of Damascus to get closer to Israel. While Israel regularly targets Syria with strikes, especially in the Golan Plateau region annexed (and recently, in the very center of Damascus), experts believe that this economic decision is part of a political pressure strategy.
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“These customs rights can be interpreted as a means of pressure on Damascus to encourage them to normalize his relations with Israel, which continues to bomb targets in Syria and occupy part of its territory” explains Giorgio Cafiero, still on CNBC. The analyst thus compares this policy to a “Economic leaving “ which will be adjusted according to the behavior of the Syrian government.
